Bound To You
by ddproxcm
Summary: When the unthinkable rears its ugly head, will Gotham's golden boy and Tamaran's spitfire princess be able to salvage their seemingly perfect relationship? Is unconditional love truly unbridled? Previously titled: Bound to You-Redux.
1. The Prologue

**February 2013 Update: Hey everyone, It's been so long since I have done any writing, but I am going through, re-editing chapters, and re-posting. None of the chapters will be new or significantly different; I am just cleaning up grammatical and spelling errors. I want you all to know that I have immensely appreciated the awesome feedback that I received from this story and I hope that you enjoy all the sequels and one-shots that occur within the universe. I always love looking at my e-mail and seeing where someone adding me on their watch list or added one of my stories to their favorites list. **

**Keep the adds and the compliments coming, guys! And hopefully I will eventually find the motivation to finish Home (I hate leaving things unfinished.) Thanks!**

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ORIGINAL AUTHORS NOTE:

Keeping with the tone of the original, I drew inspiration from **Blooming Cosmo**'s three-part story, _Hide and Seek_. I don't intend to change that because I give credit where credit is due and she, along with Celestial Maiden will forever remain my "muses." Because of them (their editing minds and listening ears) the original Bound to You was written. And I could not, in a million years, have done it without them. :) Much love!

The prologue of this tale takes place right after _Hide and Seek_finishes and **six years before the actual storyline.** You don't have to read it in order to understand this story, but if you would like to read it as a prequel, be my guest—it's very sweet. Just know that I had nothing to do with it- it was all Blooming Cosmo's work. As far as I know, you are not allowed to post links inside chapters, your best bet would be to look for the story using 's search engine... moving on and getting down to business.

**Author's Note:** Events in this story and all sequels do not necessarily coincide with the show or the comic. This is pretty much a piece of fiction thought up in my own little head; however, being the stickler that I am, I have tried my best to stick to the events and timelines of the series. But let's be honest, continuity in comics is a laughing joke. Anything can happen. So if they don't have a problem switching the stories around, then neither should I. :D

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Teen Titans, DC Comics or any rights to the aforementioned parties. I do however own this story and I would love it to stay that way. So please, no stealing and re-posting of this story under any other name but my own.

So without further ado...

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**.:. Bound To You.:.**  
_A Robin and Starfire Fanfiction_

_I sought for Love  
But Love ran away from me.  
I sought my Soul  
But my Soul I couldn't see  
Then I sought You,  
And I found all three._

* * *

"Come on, one more time…"

His voice was carried by the wind, its playful tone remaining intact as it reached her ears.

"Again?" she muttered softly as her head turned slightly.

Her emerald-colored eyes had caught the setting sun. It was time to go, but her heart fooled her into staying once again, for his sake. Her lids fell shut, hiding her eyes as she thought deeply.

_"Does he not ever get tired?"_ she pondered to herself.

"Well?" he asked once again. She could hear the tone of his voice change as he asked. It seemed more worried than before with a mix of uncertainty, and she never liked it when he used that tone of voice. She wanted him to be happy; it was the only thing that kept her smiling through it all. Her lips curved upwards into a smile before they parted to speak, but no words ever came out. Something had distracted her train of thought. It was a very loud squeaking that she was unfamiliar with. She opened her eyes quickly, her curiosity once again taking ahold of her as she scanned the area.

He picked up the noise as well, and simply traced it to its source. His gloved hand pointed toward the end of the park that was once filled with squealing children as they played their afternoon games.

"Swings," he said simply as her eyes followed his pointing finger.

"Oh, these swings are what make that noise; they sound like gurflanelk," she grinned, remembering his explanation of them earlier. "They are a playing device, correct?"

He gave a simple nod of his spiky head and walked closer to her.

"Yeah, kids seem to love them a lot."

Her vision seemed glued on the swing set, and he noticed the look of awe she seemed to have on her face. He placed a careful hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her daze.

"Come on," he beckoned as he put his hand back down at his side and began to step away from her.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she lifted her feet from the ground.

She floated over to him, awaiting an answer. She didn't receive a response until she saw him grab the side chain of one of the swings. His hand patted the seat.

"I'll push you…"

She furrowed her eyes in confusion at first, but then understood the phrase. With a quick motion, her body floated over to the seat. She sat down on it, her hands instinctively grabbing on to the cold metallic chains on either side of her. She looked back at him for a moment as she crossed her ankles and bit her lip softly.

It was her innocence that drew him in. He knew that much at least. Everything else, though, was all just a horrible jumble within his mind. Nothing seemed to make sense after their previous game. All that seemed to make sense was that he just wanted to stay close to her.

With one hand already holding on to one of the chains, he slid it down till it was close to the base of the seat. His other hand followed the actions of the other, and rested on the other side. He tugged on the seat lightly and then gave it a light push, sending the swing forward. He chuckled softly when he heard her surprised reaction. He waited till the swing came back down to his height and then pushed her back with more force, sending her a bit higher. His nimble legs moved him back before the swing came back to his height, and he pushed it once again, causing her to giggle with excitement.

Her ruby colored hair swayed back and forth after each motion. Some strands blew in her face, but she dared not let go of the swing to fix it. She just waited until he pushed her back up, so that the wind would naturally push it out of her beaming face. It was funny, though; she was so accustomed to flight, but this simple action seemed to be more thrilling than her natural ability.

"Higher!" she shouted as her delicate hands gripped the chains tighter.

He let out a grunt as he fulfilled her request, his hands pushing her until she was as high as the chains would allow. He stepped back, a smile forming on his face as he watched her actions.

She continued laughing, each swing lasting longer then the first. The force of the wind blowing in her face began to lessen, the swing slowing down because of the lack of pushing. Even as it slowed down, she continued her fit of laughter. It too began to die down until she was only giggling to herself. She lowered her head a bit, and began staring at the moving ground beneath her booted feet. Her flowing hair spilt over her shoulders as she did so, and her feet soon began to touch the ground. She swayed them back and forth until her swing came to a full stop. Her head came up, and she found him immediately. His form approached him, and he casually rested his hand on the chain of the swing she sat in.

"That was most enjoyable!" she exclaimed, still remaining in the seat.

"I could tell," he said almost in a daze as he stared.

She was temptation in its truest form, so he stayed with her. He wanted to. His head tilted to the side as he got a better look at her.

"You ready to go?"

She bit her lip, but kept her eyes locked on his the entire time. She lifted her head straight up until she could feel his warm breath on her upper lip. Her lips were next. They brushed up against his, and she felt him lean his head in more as the light brushes became more intimate. His free hand came up and rested at the base toward the back of her neck. His fingers entwined with her hair, and for a brief moment he smiled. She could feel his lips move upwards a bit against her own, but that sensation disappeared as he slowly drew away from her.

His heart pounded wildly in his chest as he opened his eyes. Her face seemed to glow softly as she parted her lips.

"Now…I am ready to go…"


	2. Chapter One

**UPDATED FEBRUARY 2013**

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**Disclaimer:**See Prologue.

Quick clarification for any of those who may ask. I know there was confusion in my last story about formal name usage, so I am going to try to clear it up in this story- plus, I will admit that in the original, it did get a bit confusing at times. **So, here is my explanation:**

The Titans are friends. Since you call your friend by their formal name (or nickname) rather than what their job title is, all the characters are on a first name basis... Now I have already decided that "Star" will be the nickname that the titans use for her... so sometimes you may hear "Star" thrown out there a time or two, but I won't make that big of a habit out of it. Since the other team members (aside from Starfire who kind of has the ability to blend in) stick out in public, to protect his identity, Dick would need to be IN COSTUME whenever the team goes out to dinner as a whole; therefore, they would call him Robin. I really hope that this makes sense because I know it can get confusing- but Dick has a dual identity which is really difficult to write when no other team member does... so bear with me. :)

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**.:. Bound To You .:.**

Chapter 1

* * *

Dick couldn't remember the last time that he had battled such pain and exhaustion. The last few days had been so intense that he didn't even have the chance to phone Kory and let her know that he would be returning home that day. After spending hours on the road driving back from Gotham City, Dick finally pulled into Titan Tower and shut off his bike's engine. He looked down at the unfamiliar bike between his legs. It was new.

Bruce decided to surprise him with a new "toy" for his birthday.

Too bad his birthday was a month ago.

Dick couldn't determine what he thought was worse: the fact that Bruce Wayne, his adoptive father, had forgotten his birthday, or the fact that he **knew** that Bruce had remembered his birthday and that the gift arriving a month late just ensured that he really didn't give much thought to trivial things—such as special days. Dick hated his "better late than never, right?" excuse and almost would have rather received no gift at all; except, he actually liked the new bike. It was newer, faster, and its shiny black finish looked more aesthetically pleasing than the primary colors that covered the old one.

He removed his helmet and carefully swung his left leg over the back of the bike and winced in pain as he dismounted it. Over the weekend, he had managed to rack up a multitude of injuries and bruises-the worst being two broken ribs and a small bullet wound at the tip of his shoulder. Kory was **not**going to be happy. Alfred had pleaded with him to stay at the manor and recover for a bit longer, but as Dick put it, "if I don't get home soon, Kory will probably perform some kind of weird Tamaranean voodoo on me." Of course, Alfred didn't find his joke amusing.

Dick patted the right pocket of his jeans to assure that the small box was still safe and carefully hidden from a certain pair of curious green eyes. While in the city, he had made a small pit stop at the shop of a discreet jeweler in Gotham that specialized in unique rings. He hadn't planned to buy anything- he had just gone in to look around- or so he told himself.

He had been on the fence about the marriage topic for a while, measuring pros and cons in his head as if he were placing weights on a balancing scale. On one side, he knew that there was no one else that he would ever want to marry; she was his "one" and nothing was ever going to change that fact.

On the other hand, marriage probably wasn't the best thing to consider at that moment. They had a city to defend; his identity would be on the line.

Bruce would most definitely show disapproval; more like **Batman** would show disapproval.

_**Damnit!**_ Dick cursed inwardly. _**Why do I even care what he thinks?**_

He knew exactly why. It was the same reason that he packed up and left the second that Alfred called saying that Batman needed assistance on a case- he loved him. Ever since his parents died when he was 8, Bruce and Alfred had been the closest thing that he had to an actual family—dysfunctional or not. Was it too much to ask that every once in a while, affection could be returned?

Dick sighed. "Of course."

He ran his fingers through his jet-black hair. He had always considered himself a family man. He wanted the wife, the house with the white picket fence, the kids - the whole nine yards; however, he also knew that because of his special "role" in society, Dick couldn't be selfish. He would always have to make sacrifices.

So perhaps right now **wasn't** the right time for any kind of proposal, but that didn't stop him from walking into that jewelry store.

Once Dick passed Tower security and stepped into the front hall, he thought about his more current two options: the stairs or the elevator. Running his fingers down his shirt to feel his tightly bandaged torso, he opted to take the elevator. He hated elevators, but his injuries didn't allow him a choice.

The door to the elevator opened up to a smiling, glowing Tamaranean beauty. Dick couldn't help but allow a smile to grace his face also- her happiness was always so infectious.

"You are home! You are home! You are home!" Kory screamed while grabbing Dick and forcing him into a tight embrace.

"Kory," Dick forced out of his lungs, overwhelmed with pain. "Super strength...remember?"

She ended the hug as quickly as she had initiated it. "Sorry Dick, I could not help it. I was just overcome with so much excitement-"

"Kory, it's okay." He cut her off with a smile. "I missed you too...very much."

Pleased, Kory stepped back from him and examined him from head-to-toe. It was then that she realized that he was limping towards the main room.

"Why are you walking so strangely-" she cut herself off. "You are hurt!"

"Yeah, it couldn't be helped," he lied as he found his way to the couch. He just needed to sit/lay down and relax.

Kory followed him to the main room and crossed her arms over her chest. Dick could tell that she was frustrated. He closed his eyes and let out a small sigh, bracing himself from the verbal lashing that was sure to ensue; however, he found himself pleasantly surprised by her response: "Did you receive proper medical attention? Do you need me to go seek out the medic?"

"No Kory I'm fine. But thanks."

"So what task did the Batman need you for this time?"

Dick felt hesitant to talk about it. He didn't feel like answering a million and one questions about Two-Face and his escape from Arkham; however, he knew that Kory couldn't help it. She had a curious mind and deep down, Dick felt that the stories of Gotham-style crime fighting fascinated her- it was a completely different league of criminals than she fought. The first time that he had told her about the Joker, she couldn't believe that a person with no special abilities could pose such a big threat... she had a lot to learn. He didn't want to shut her out; he never wanted to turn out like _him._

"Two-Face escaped from Arkham. One would think that he'd be easy to catch seeing as how everything the man does revolves around the number two; for example, in this issue of Two-Face takes on the world, he attempted to rob the Gotham National Bank...on 2nd street...at 2:22 a.m. I talked a lot of shit before taking him down- now the jokes on me because I now have **two **broken ribs." Dick explained, strategically leaving out the part about how he asked, "So Two-Face, are you going to fight me or do you need to flip the coin first?"

Kory frowned.

"I'm okay Kory. I promise. It's nothing that good ol' Al couldn't patch up. I just need a few days to heal and I'll be as good as new," Dick said confidently. "Scout's honor."

"Alright." Kory wasn't too convinced, but if Dick said he was okay, then he was okay.

Relieved that she wasn't asking any more questions, Dick took the opportunity to ask one of his own. "Did the city behave while I was away?"

"It never does. But nothing too big; nothing too exerting."

"Good... let's hope it stays that way while I'm taking it easy- not that my beautiful girlfriend couldn't take the helm if needed-" Before he could finish, the database siren sounded and he realized that he had spoken too soon. As the other titans started to pour in, he took a quick glance at Kory who had already shifted her attention to the big screen in the middle of the room. Something felt off-balance...

_**Was she actually upset with him? Could she be?**_

There was no way that he could go out today. The team would have to face this mission sans boy wonder.

"Dick, are you going to be okay while we are out?" He heard Kory ask, forcing him to break his internal train of thought. _**Did I really just tune out that entire briefing session?**_

"Yeah Kory, I'll be fine; I need to rest anyway. Be careful out there and don't do anything too risky- can't have two injured Titans in the tower."

Kory smiled and gave him a quick kiss before heading downstairs with the rest of the Titans.

Dick took this time to ease himself off the couch and head towards the bedroom corridor. Luckily, his room was the first room on the right; every step he took felt like one too many. He wished now that he didn't stubbornly refuse when Alfred offered to get him some pain medication from the family doctor. _**Stupid.**_

He told himself at the time that taking the pain medication would be a sign of weakness. _**Stupid.**_

"Yeah," he said aloud, agreeing with his subconscious. "I am stupid."

After being on a bike for three hours, he knew that he probably needed to take a shower; however, right now, sleep was a much more enticing and less strenuous alternative. Dick laid down on the bed that he had been sharing with Kory for three, almost four years now. He shook his head realizing how fast time had flown by. Almost six years had passed since they had shared their first kiss in the park and it all seemed like it just happened yesterday. Dick reached into his pocket, pulled out the small box, and opened it revealing the ring that he had purchased earlier that weekend.

When Dick first saw it in the jeweler's shop, it left him breathless. The ring was so beautiful yet so simple at the same time; he had never seen anything as perfect for Kory as this. At the ring's center were two hearts: A big one, on top, filled with an emerald and a second smaller heart below it filled with a gorgeous diamond. While he knew that it wasn't big and gaudy, Kory would absolutely love it. He continued to stare at it, contemplating when he would have time to get the ring engraved with an appropriate set of words and where he would go to do it. Getting it done in Jump City would be too risky; he would have to drive at least 70 miles out of town.

After 30 minutes of deep thought, Dick felt his eyelids get heavy. After stowing away the ring in the bedside drawer where he knew Kory wouldn't go snooping around, Dick finally allowed his mind and body to get much needed rest.

_**Kory will wake me when she gets home.**_


	3. Chapter Two

**UPDATED MARCH 2013**

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue

* * *

**.:. Bound To You .:.**

Chapter 2

* * *

It had been a very long night. What should have taken two hours to accomplish took five.

Jinx had escaped from her cell at the metahuman prison on AlcatrazIsland the night before and was being an exceptional pain in the ass in the current night's seemingly never-ending battle. Kory couldn't figure it out, but something was different; it had never taken the Titans more than two hours to apprehend Jinx.

She was no detective, but she wondered if perhaps, maybe, someone had set up an illegal training facility inside of the prison- or even worse- she had come in contact with another criminal that was able to enhance her powers. Kory shook her head at the thought. Dick was the Titan's deductive mind- had being with him for so long rubbed off on her?

She walked up to the bedroom door and created a bolt in her palm getting ready to fight her way through the darkness. Not wanting to wake up her boyfriend, she opened the door slowly to avoid making any unnecessary noise. She crept through the bedroom towards the bed, taking extra precaution against the lose debris cluttering the bedroom floor.

**_I definitely need to clean tomorrow_**, she thought as she climbed in under the bed sheets- again, trying desperately to be discreet in hopes of not waking Dick up.

"Hey, you're home." Dick mumbled keeping his eyes closed.

The voice startled Kory causing her makeshift light to go hurling towards the bedroom door.

"Oh!" Kory gasped and immediately slapped her hand over her chest. "Dick you frightened me! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" she said between intakes of breath.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to." The crash between the star bolt and the metal door was enough to wake him up completely. Dick was now focusing all of his efforts into pulling himself into a sitting position, using his forearms.

"It is okay. I will find a way to pop the dent out of the door tomorrow. Sorry." Kory frowned, slightly embarrassed.

Dick let out a small laugh, "Kory its fine. Don't be embarrassed." He gently pulled her down to his chest and began stroking her hair. "Are you feeling okay? You seem a little," Dick thought carefully as he chose the right word, "different today. I hope you aren't upset with me."

"Oh no Dick, I am not; it has just been a weird day. That is all."

Dick remained silent prompting her to continue with her story.

"Jinx is stronger. More powerful. I really wish you had been there to assess the situation. It took five hours...five hours, Dick. I do not think the other Titans feel that it is anything to worry about; perhaps your absence did have an impact."

Dick nodded, continuing to stroke her hair.

"And we had to send her right back to the place that she _just_ escaped from with the greatest of ease- its very frustrating."

"We all get frustrated about it, Kor, but we don't have any other choice; all we can do is send her back and hope that they beef up security enough that it doesn't happen again." Dick knew all too well about the pains of unreliable detainment facilities. Perhaps, in the morning he could call up Roy and ask them to keep a watch out over there. In fact, the more he thought about it, he couldn't believe that they hadn't caught Jinx before she arrived in JumpCity. The metahuman prison is in their territory, afterall.

"Perhaps, next time we can choose to send her to S.T.A.R labs. At least if she breaks out there, we are close enough to stop her."

"Kory, you can't mean that. S.T.A.R labs is a horrible place, they would torture her."

"...maybe she deserves it? She chose her own path." She said harshly, not knowing if she truly meant it or not.

Dick sighed. He didn't want to argue, something was definitely wrong. Kory never spoke cruelly about anyone and here she was now, agreeing with torture.

"Okay, what's _really_ bothering you?"

"I know not of what you mean, Dick."

Dick gave her his trademark "just tell me" look.

Feeling his eyes on her, Kory parted her lips to speak; she may as well get everything off her chest. **_It would probably make me feel a lot better._**

"I am having a few issues with my family," Kory began. "I found out today that my brother, Ryand'r, has disappeared."

Dick watched her with sad eyes. He felt like interrupting her with some words of consolation, but decided against it.

"I just...really do not wish to speak about it. I would rather keep up hope that he is alive out there than to accept his death."

Dick nodded in understanding. "Is that all?"

"My father has contracted an illness that has left him with only a few months to live; a year if he is lucky. Either way, he is not fit to rule and Tamaran is involved in a brutal civil war; I fear for my planet and my people."

"Is it something that you need to go take care of? Is there even anything that you would be able to do?"

**_Yes._**

"Sadly, if I went to Tamaran, it would be the end of you and me." Kory purposely concealed additional information, particularly the fact that a betrothal awaited her on Tamaran, in fear that Dick may overreact. "I am afraid that my people may not take to the idea of their princess 'mating' with an Earth being."

"Mating? As far as I know, we don't have any children...right?"

"No Dick, I am not pregnant if that is what you are suggesting," she said in a tone of frustration. "On Tamaran, to engage in sexual behavior is to mate."

"I know, Kory, I was just trying to give you a hard time; I'm sorry. I really shouldn't be joking right now."

"You are right; this is no joking matter. My father has banished you from Tamaran; therefore, banishing me as long as I am with you."

"You know, Kor, someone told me once that 'you can't support someone who doesn't support you'; they were right. Things will work out on your planet; he shouldn't place such a large burden on your shoulders."

**_He will never understand what it is like to hold the fate of your planet in the palms of your hands._**

"I just do not want to live without you,"

**_Nevertheless, I may have to._**

Dick lifted her head off his chest and turned her head towards his. In her eyes, he saw the strong amount of devotion that she had for him and as always, it made his heart melt.

"Kory, I'm not planning on going anywhere."

She remained silent, daring to remain quiet about the rest of her situation. She would alert him later if needed; there was no need to worry him now. Hopefully, this was something that she would be able to work out on her own.

Dick grabbed the bottom of her chin with his index finger and brought her lips to his, encasing them with a soft and gentle kiss. It took all of his inner strength to break away from her as she tried to deepen the kiss. "As much as I wish I wanted to, I'm in so much pain that even the idea of sex is unappealing to me."

Kory nodded, not planning on a retreat yet. "Poor Richard...all broken and injured," she said in a sultry voice as she grazed his inner thigh with her hand. "It is too bad."

Dick inhaled sharply as her hand moved across his rapidly growing member. "You are a terrible, terrible person," he said somewhat seriously. "This falls under cruel and unusual punishment, I'm sure of it."

Kory chuckled as she continuously drew a figure 8 on his crotch with the tip of her finger. "Sorry, I will cease. I need to move this into the shower, anyway."

"Oh God, Kory, you're killing me..." Dick groaned as she moved off the bed and proceeded to strip off her uniform.

Kory grabbed her bathrobe hanging on the closet door and proceeded to the bathroom. "Sorry, you cannot join me...maybe next time."

She walked through the bathroom door and smiled when she heard him groan in sexual frustration.

**_I really should not punish him like that, but it is so much fun._**

Kory started the hot water and tested it before climbing in.

**_What am I going to do?_**

**_Perhaps if Dick and I were to get married...what would they even be able to say about it? Would they accept it?_**

Kory began to reflect on her relationship with Dick. **_Six years…what a long time._** Since her arrival on Earth, Kory had desperately tried to take in everything that she possibly could. She read books, watched movies, conducted experiments- or rather watched Dick conduct experiments- she jumped at the chance of learning anything new. She wasn't as naïve as she used to be and over the years, she was seeing that maybe it wasn't such a good thing; ignorance was indeed blissful.

She had learned a lot about coupling over the years and she knew enough to know that most successful relationships end in marriage and maybe children if the couple is lucky.

**_Does Dick even want to marry me?_** **_Does he think about it?_**

She had to admit that she was growing a bit impatient. There were times when she thought about bringing it up, but the fear of rejection stopped her dead in her tracks.

**_Is there even a good way to bring up anything like that?_**

She knew Dick's affections were genuine, but did he feel as though they were strong enough to support a future with her? **_Like the future that I envision with him?_**

Dick was never good at showing his emotions and because of that, Kory felt as though they weren't as close as other couples she had observed on movies and television shows; the difference had left her more than slightly confused.

**_Should I just marry Sorond'r for the sake of my planet or wait around for Dick to ask me to marry him on his?_** **_If Dick knew that I was already promised to another man, would it be over between us or would he fight to keep me?_** Sadly, she was too afraid to find out.

She turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. She assumed that she stayed in there long enough to allow Dick's mind to wander. She slid her bathrobe over her shoulders and walked into the bedroom where Dick laid fast asleep.

She carefully climbed into the bed and moved in close to Dick, trying to avoid hurting his ribs.

He moaned and stretched out his arm, encouraging her to lay on it; she obliged.

A couple of minutes passed and Kory spoke up.

"Dick, I want you to know just how lucky I am to have you in my life. I do not think there was ever a time, after my mother died, that I felt true unlimited love. My dad will not accept me unless I marry a Tamaranean warrior picked out by him and my sister has tried to murder me multiple times out of jealousy and spite." Kory took a deep breath. She and Dick never really talked about their pasts much. She knew the basics, of his life, but not the deep and dark details. She had always been curious, but too afraid to ask. Maybe talking about her past would help him open up about his.

Of course, she knew that he was asleep; but it felt good to say it.

Letting out a sigh, she decided that she needed to go to sleep before she got sad. She would worry about everything later...**_another day._**


	4. Chapter Three

**UPDATED MARCH 2013**

**Disclaimer:**See Prologue.

* * *

**.:. Bound To You .:.**

Chapter 3

* * *

The next month passed by rather uneventfully for the Titans. Aside from casual burglaries and muggings, the town had been quiet, leaving Dick to concentrate on other matters. The day after Kory had expressed her concerns to him about Jinx, Dick contacted the Titans stationed on the West Coast, specifically Roy, and demanded that they keep an eye on the Alcatraz. He hated when he had to play the role of the tough guy; he didn't like having to remind people to do their jobs. However, he had to admit that he was good at it; the Titans always responded well to his orders and never second-guessed him. A Titans West "team" no longer existed; instead, two years ago with Victor's help, Dick created a Titan's Network that connected all Titans across the globe and established the Titans East tower as an official headquarters. It was a lot of work, but it was much easier than dealing with different teams; there was too much paperwork involved. The network also allowed him more time to go into Gotham, which was important. Barbara was entering her last year of graduate school and her time for nocturnal activities was limited; at least that is what Bruce told him.

Between his physical rehabilitation, trying to hold the reigns over a blossoming Titans Network and his back and forth act between Gotham and JumpCity, he had unintentionally put Kory on the back burner. He knew that he'd been slightly preoccupied lately, but he hadn't meant to be, at least not around her.

**_God, I'm a shitty boyfriend._**

Determined to make it up to her, he decided that he would surprise her by taking her into town for lunch, just the two of them. Victor recently purchased Rock Band so Dick didn't have to worry about him or Gar trying to tag along and he didn't have a clue where Raven was – not that she would go anyway.

Dick stealthily rose from the bed, being extra careful not to wake Kory and walked into the bathroom to start his shower. The hot water beating against his tired body felt therapeutic. His muscles ached from all the recent activity and he was hoping that today would be a very welcomed day off. He closed his eyes, leaned against the shower's tiled wall and allowed the heat and steam to engulf him.

**_I should consider adding a sauna to this place, I bet-._******

His thoughts ended abruptly as soon as a cool breeze and a pair of breasts entered the warm confines of his shower walls. His body shivered slightly and he couldn't tell whether it was from the cold air or from the sight of Kory standing right in front of him; it could very well have been both.

"Good morning to you, too," Dick said through his boyish grin. "I guess that I wasn't being as covert as I thought. Not that I'm complaining, mind you." He glanced up and down her body, taking her in fully. He was convinced that she was the hottest, sexiest girl in the world and her beauty bore no comparison.

"I woke up as soon as I heard the shower running and thought to myself, 'hmm, I kind of need one of those, too'." Kory ran her fingers up and down his chest. "I hope I am not bothering you."

"No…no…not at all." He swallowed hard. He felt exposed; he **was** exposed. There was absolutely no way to hide his arousal – not that he wanted to.

"Someone looks glad to see me this morning," Kory giggled. "Too bad I am so busy this morning that shower sex just will not possibly fit into my schedule."

Dick raised an eyebrow at her sarcasm. "Is that so?"

Kory continued to laugh. "Yes, unfortunately I don't have a single minute to spare, which I know is all you would need. I am sorry; it just isn't do-able." Kory knew that statement would definitely set a call to action.

Dick wrapped his hands around the back of Kory's neck and pulled her in for a passionate kiss and mumbled against her lips, "only a minute my ass."

* * *

Dick and Kory both exited the site of their much-needed 'sexcipade' with smiles on their faces. Between the ribs and Dick going into super Robin-mode (which is the term she used for Dick when he was all work and no play) they had not been intimate for a month; it was difficult to get through. She hated it when he started pushing her away and she learned very quickly that the best way to snap him out of it was to confront him about it. Today was their six-year anniversary and she'd be damned if he forgot about it because he was spreading himself too thin. Dick was always good about going the extra mile on their "special days" and even though he acted like a jackass sometimes, she knew that he really loved her.

**_I pretend not to make a big deal out of anniversaries because they weren't a part of my Tamaranean culture, but in reality, I look forward to them greatly._**

"Hey, Kor, want to go into town and grab a bite to eat... just me and you?"

Kory couldn't hide the big grin on her face.

**_It starts!_******

She thought about running over and taking him into one of her signature "super hugs" but instead, she opted to watch him get ready.

**_He is really looking good these days_**. She giggled inwardly

"Help me pick out a shirt; your choice."

Kory smiled and sauntered over to his closet; she shifted through all of his shirts before pulling down a dark gray t-shirt and tossing it in his direction.

"Thanks."

She watched his abdominals flex as he lifted the shirt over his head.

**_He is definitely a magnificent human._**

"Kory, are you okay?"

Kory felt a blush creep up across her face and she gave a quick answer. "Sure Dick. All I need to do is throw on some clothes and I will be ready to go."

Dick looked at her and raised an eyebrow; he brushed off her behavior and let it go. "I'll wait for you outside in the main room."

She heard the door shut and then let out a sigh of relief. She quickly threw on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a pair of sneakers. She ran towards the door before stopping at her vanity.

**_Eek! I look like a mess!_**

She contemplated putting on some makeup before she decided against it—too much of a time restraint. **_A little lip-gloss should help. _**She pressed her lips together and took one last look at herself in the mirror before grabbing an elastic band and throwing her hair up into a loose ponytail as she headed out the door.

When she walked into the main room, Victor and Gar were playing their new video game.

"Hey, Goldie, come play with us! Maybe you can convince Dick to stop being such a party pooper." Victor shouted before turning back to the screen to play his guitar solo.

"You can sing! I bet you have an awesome singing voice!" Bassist Gar Logan added. "We have been trying to convince Dick to come in and play the drums. This game is so freakin' awesome!"

"Hey, maybe later," Dick declined. "Kory and I are going to lunch; we'll be back." Dick grabbed her hand and made a quick dash to the exit. He wanted to get out of there before the two guys invited themselves to come along. He really didn't feel like wearing his costume today.

Victor and Gar just shrugged.

"Their loss." Victor said, flipping his guitar to activate the bonus multiplier.

"For real."

* * *

She would never admit it to him, but motorcycles terrified her. Dick always claimed that the bike made him feel free and uninhibited- made him feel one with the road and liked the wind in his hair. All she could figure is that he had the same sensation riding on his R-Cycle that she did when she was flying. Therefore, as soon as he parked, Kory hopped off and hastily placed his helmet (that he stubbornly made her wear!) in its appropriate place on the back of the bike.

"Is this place alright with you Kory? If not, we can always go somewhere else."

Kory looked up and nodded as she noticed the all too familiar sign for La Belle Fille.

"Dick, it is perfect," Kory said as she clapped her hands together in excitement. "Any dining with you is beyond satisfaction – unless of course we were going to eat…"

"I don't think I told you yet, but you really look nice today," Dick quickly interrupted her before she could start describing food so grotesque that even _she _wouldn't eat it. "Helmet-hair and all," he teased.

"Thank you Dick," Kory accepted the compliment graciously; she ignored the tease about her "helmet-hair" and made a mental note to fix it in the restroom once they were sat.

Reaching the restaurant, Dick opened the door for her, "after you, mi amore."

* * *

Dick drummed his fingers on the table impatiently. They had been at the table for three minutes and the waiter still hadn't come by; the service was unacceptable. He looked at Kory who had a bright smile on her face and he allowed himself to relax a little bit. This day was about making up lost time with Kory- there was no hurry. He was about to open his mouth to speak when the waiter interrupted.

"Hey guys, welcome back!" Their waiter exclaimed. "Sorry it took so long—the lunch crowd is pretty big today. What can I get you guys to drink?"

"Coke."

"And for the lovely miss Kory Anders?"

Kory tried to hide her reaction behind the menu; every time they came into the restaurant, Chad insisted on being their waiter and he would always pay her the nicest compliments. Of course, she realized that he was flirting with her, but she would never let on that she knew. She was slowly acclimating to all the "positive" attention that she would get from Earth males; however, she was sure that Dick was not.

"Water will be fine, thanks."

Dick smiled to himself remembering all the times that she would come in here and try to order mustard for a drink. Even though he was glad that phase was over, he couldn't help but miss the naivety of it.

"Awesome, one water and one soda coming right up," Chad winked at Kory before walking off into the sea of tables.

Dick experienced a small pang of jealousy. Appearance wise, Chad exhibited certain features that one would associate with an attractive male; at least, he knew that women considered him good-looking. He had even heard Raven refer to him as 'hot' before – hot or not, he didn't want him hitting on **his** girlfriend.

Chad was a regular waiter at La Belle Fille, and over the years, he had weaseled his way into being acquaintances of all the Titans, Dick being the exception. It probably had something to do with the fact that Chad always, without fail, flirted carelessly with Kory.

**_I should be used to guys flirting with her all of the time, but it has been something that I haven't been able to come to terms with._**

"Does he think that I didn't see that? Or does he just not care?" Dick asked angrily.

"Dick, I do not think he means any harm; he is just trying to be congenial. Waiters are supposed to be friendly, are they not?" Kory put down her menu and slid it to the side. "I love you." She placed her hands on the table, palm side up, inviting him to place his on top.

He obliged. "I love you too, but changing the subject isn't going to change my opinion; there is something off about that guy."

Kory raised an eyebrow, "Dick, you are not jealous of Chad are you? I mean, because if you are, there is not any reason to -" Dick cut her off before she could finish.

"I am not jealous!" he said a little too loudly, gaining glances from various diners. In a quieter, calmer voice he continued. "I'm not jealous. I just don't like him; that is all. He rubs me the wrong way and I really don't like the way he puts moves on you right in front of me. Okay? Let's talk about something else." Dick cleared his throat.

Kory knew this routine well. Dick had the tendency to get jealous and most of the time she thought it was really cute and flattering; however, she was fond of Chad and didn't want to make Dick any angrier so she dropped the subject. She wondered quickly if maybe he was on edge because of their anniversary; perhaps he had something planned and he was getting nervous about it. Men often got nervous on the television when they were about to…

"Hey Kory," Kory snapped out of her daze to meet Dick's questioning eyes and Chad's white smile. "Do you know what you want to order?"

"Yeah, I will just have a Caesar salad, like always." Kory folded up her menu and handed it to Chad. "Thanks."

"No problem, I will be right back out with your orders; just flag me down if you need anything."

Dick made sure that Chad was out of earshot before he began conversation. "Where were you just now?"

"Dick, what do you mean? I was right here, silly."

"What were you thinking about?"

Kory knew that Dick wouldn't let it alone; she was going to have to tell him something- should she just tell the truth?

**_I just really don't want to bring it up right now._**

"Nothing really, I was just wondering if our friends would still be playing Rock Band when we got back. Who knows, maybe they were able to convince Raven to play." Kory laughed at the thought. "Can you imagine," she let out another small laugh. "Raven playing Rock Band?"

Dick smiled- the thought of Raven playing Rock Band was amusing. "Yeah, I highly doubt it, but hey, you never know."

* * *

The rest of the meal went smoothly; Chad kept his distance and Dick was happy about it. The less he had to see of his face, the better.

**_Maybe I am overreacting. If I really thought that there was a threat, I would have taken her to a different restaurant, right?_**

"How was your meal? Satisfactory I hope?"

Dick watched as Kory made conversation with Chad, asking him about his day and work schedule; they were trivial and meaningless questions, but annoying all the same. He was determined to sit there and stay silent. He was sure that Kory was just messing with him and punishing him for being jealous in the first place.

**_Women are impossible._**

Chad was talking directly to her; he even had his back turned to Dick- closing him off completely from the conversation. Dick growled. He couldn't take it anymore. He had let this flirt fest go on far too long.

"Chad, here is the money," he said placing the money on top of the ticket lying on the table. "We need to get going. Keep the change." Dick stood up from his seat and as if on cue, Kory did the same.

"Thanks man!" Chad shoved the money in his pocket and walked off, but to Dick's dismay, not before attempting to give his girlfriend a farewell hug.

Kory knew that Chad wanted a hug but after hearing Dick's growl and now seeing the look on his face, she decided against it. She didn't want to make Dick think that she felt romantically towards Chad; although, it saddened her to think that she may have hurt Chad's feelings. She walked out the door, leaving Dick to trail behind her. She felt bad for blowing off Chad, but she was sure that he would understand. She made a mental note to apologize later.

Once outside, Kory looked at the clock tower that stood in the middle of town.

**_12:05_****_._**

"Now where do you have planned for us to go?" Kory asked geniunly; he hadn't mentioned anything yet, but she was more than sure that he'd planned an afternoon for them.

"Home I guess, there isn't anything that I need in town, what about you?"

"No." Kory had to admit that she was slightly disappointed; shopping at all the smaller boutiques in town square was always so much fun! But, admittedly, she didn't think that it would be as fun for him. She grabbed the helmet from Dick and slid on back on her head.

She climbed on the bike and grabbed onto Dick's waist again.

**_Maybe there is a special plan for tonight and he is just making me feel as though he has forgotten. Oh! I am sure that is it!_**

Dick took off abruptly causing Kory to let out a scream reminding her, once again, that she**really** didn't like motorcycles.

* * *

They both arrived back at the tower in less than 10 minutes; the drive to the tower usually took 15. When he shut off the engine, Dick silently cursed himself for driving too fast. He had been so deep in thought on the drive home that he didn't even realize just how tight Kory's death grip on his waist was until she let go. Suddenly feeling as though he could breathe better, Dick inhaled sharply.

He had a lot on his mind; no excuse, but it was true and he didn't feel like discussing it – least of all, with Kory. He knew that she probably noticed but was too afraid to ask and he didn't know whether to be bothered or relieved. He felt the weight of the bike shift and watched Kory as she headed towards the tower entrance. She was beautiful even when she didn't try. She had on jeans and a t -shirt, no makeup, and her hair disheveled from the helmet; yet, she was the most gorgeous girl in the world. He hoped that she knew that her looking like that wasn't making anything easier on him.

"Are you coming?" he heard her ask. He just wanted to revel in his thoughts for a while. Was that too much to ask? Before he could open his mouth to speak, she spoke again.

"Well, I guess I will see you upstairs then." And she was gone.

She was upset; a person didn't have to be a detective to see that. She wanted more, but it was more than Dick thought that he could give her now. He had been playing the oblivious card and for a while, it had been working, but he didn't see it working for much longer.

**_ I really am a shitty boyfriend._**

She hadn't even been herself lately and he knew that somehow, he was the cause- that's what bothered him the most. It broke his heart to see the look that she gave him when they left the restaurant, but he had to ignore it. He was too confused about everything. He knew that she wanted to get married.

**_But now…just...it just isn't the right time._** **_She'll see that eventually, right?_**

Every time he thought about it, millions of things started to circle in his head: JumpCity, Bruce, children, their teammates, life, death, etc. He wanted to scream, "Stop!" With marriage came new responsibilities- new risks and he didn't know if he could deal with it. How many attacks towards Starfire would occur in order to get a reaction out of Robin? It would kill him if someone ever used her as bait. If any of the themed rogues in GothamCity ever found out, it would be a disaster of nightmarish proportions. Sure, perhaps they could keep their relationship inside the masks a secret as they have been, but he was sick of doing that; it wouldn't be fair for either of them to keep up the charade post-marriage. He just wanted to make her happy.

Dick sighed. No matter how much it sucked, protecting the city and its citizens was his job- a duty that he had pledged his life to. He knew he would have to sacrifice many things when he took on the task of forming the Titans, but he had done it to prove to himself, and to Bruce, that he was more than just a sidekick.

Frustrated, he launched himself off the motorcycle and began stalking towards the door. He had to stop thinking about all of this, at least for right now or it would drive him crazy.

Upstairs, he looked for Kory in the main room and couldn't find her.

**_Perhaps, it would be better just to give her a little bit of time and let her anger blow over._******Defeated, he sat down on the couch and watched as Victor and Gar finished a song.

"I can't believe you guys are still playing. You've been playing for how long?"

"Not long enough, here!" the cyborg said, handing Dick the wooden drumsticks. "Play for a little bit... it'll be a good distraction."

Dick smirked; nothing got passed Victor. He had probably guessed that something was awry the moment that Kory entered the tower 5 minutes before he did. Looking at the sticks in his hand, Dick said, "what the hell," it probably **would** be a fun way to take his mind off things.

"Ready, bro?" Gar asked, taking Dick's nod as affirmation. "Let's rock then; wooo!"

_You Can't Always Get What You Want_ by the Rolling Stones started to play and as soon as Dick heard recognized what song he was playing, he vehemently stood up from his drum stool and shoved the plastic, multi-colored drum set out of his way.

"AH!" Dick screamed throwing the drumsticks into the cushions of the couch. "I give up!"

He walked out of the room and headed towards the training facilities. Screw having the day off. He needed a distraction and if wasn't going to be fun and games, then it was going to be work.

"Wow... Vic... to think that I was hard on myself in the beginning- he couldn't even last through the intro," Dick heard as the heavy door to the main room closed behind him.

* * *

Halfway up the tower staircase, ingenuity struck. Kory was determined to sort out her situation, even if she had to take extreme measures to do it.

**_What do you do when you cannot figure out what someone is planning? Answer: Ask someone who knows._**

**_What do you if no one knows? Answer: Ask someone who can find out._**

This idea had spiraled into what she felt was a fool-proof plan and now Kory was standing in front of Raven's heavy metal door, knocking and begging to be let in.

"Please Raven, it is important. I know you are probably busy but we are friends."

"Kory- you know its meditation time-" Raven had finally opened the door and was cut off by an over-excited Tamaranean embrace. "Great Azar, Kory... Super-"

"Yeah, super strength... I got it; sorry." Kory dropped her hands. Fighting away the feeling of embarrassment, she concentrated on the task that brought her to Raven in the first place. "I would like to request a favor from you."

"I thought you said that this was important." Raven glared.

"It is." Kory swallowed hard because Raven always made her nervous. With her eyes pointed at her feet, she continued.

"This will probably sound very strange to you," Kory looked up briefly to meet Raven's impatient gaze. "Yes, anyway. I will get straight to the point, today is the six year anniversary of Dick and I, and I want you to look into his mind and tell me if he has something planned."

"No."

"And if he does, I do not want you to tell me what it is because I want to be surp- Wait, what do you mean, 'no.' Can you really just say no to me? Just like that? Please Raven?"

"Of course I can, and I just did. Now if you will excuse me." Raven started to close her door and Kory stopped the door with her hand.

"Please, Raven. I have to know something; it is driving me crazy." Raven reopened the door to full capacity. Kory wanted to grin but suppressed the urge. She needed to play cool.

"Crazy is right. Why not, hmmm, I don't know... talk to him? He is your boyfriend after all, isn't communication one of those key elements; you know, the key elements to a healthy relationship?" Raven sighed. She was getting too soft. She felt herself slowly giving in to Kory's request.

"Yeah... I know... just... I do not know...Dick can be so hard to talk to."

"Dick doesn't like me entering his mind Kory, you know that. He would get very upset – at ME – if he ever found out."

Kory couldn't hold her smile any longer. She could tell that Raven was giving in.

**_She would do it!_**

"He will never know! I will never tell! And if he did ever find out, you could blame it on me. Seriously, all on me; please!?"

"Ok, fine; I will do about anything just to have my privacy back." Raven closed her eyes and Kory watched her intently. This had been her best idea ever! After half of a minute went by, Raven's eyes reopened and Kory was hanging on the edge, waiting for an answer.

"Yeah, he has something planned. Now can you please leave? I have to finish meditating and there's a book I need to finish reading." Kory stopped herself from trying to give Raven a second hug, opting for a "thank you" instead, Kory skipped down the hallway towards the bedroom. She was going to make sure that she looked stunning.

Raven waited for Kory to be completely out of sight before shutting the door to her bedroom.

"Great, now what have I gotten myself into," she mumbled.

* * *

Dick had no idea that it was their anniversary, so of course, he didn't have anything planned out- but by the look on Kory's face, he had better turn out something quick. Raven weighed her options: A, she could communicate with him telepathically, making it possible to give away the fact that she had already entered his mind once today- or- B, she could just go find him. B sounded like a much better option.

Raven's ideal afternoon didn't include walking around the tower and trying to find someone else's absent-minded boyfriend; so after four hours of an unsuccessful search, she was ready to give up. Let him suffer the wrath; he obviously deserved it.

**_But then it makes you look bad because you lied. _**** Her guilt spoke up within her.**

**_I should have just told the truth and then went on about my business. But no, Raven, you have to be the good guy. I hate being the good guy._**

She decided to keep looking in spite of her extreme disinterest. She really didn't want to see Kory get hurt; she considered Kory to be the closest thing to a 'friend' that she had, even though she couldn't stand her sometimes.

She had started her search by asking the boys if they had seen him- they told her what happened and since then nothing. She was about to attempt a telepathic connection when the mission siren came on.

**_Fabulous._**

By time she made it into the main hall, Dick was already there, front and center, in full Robin regalia.

**_Yeah sure, I look for hours and of course, he is the first one in costume and ready to go._**

"...Titans... Gizmo was able to break through the prison's security systems. We can only guess that he is planning to break into the LexCorp vault and steal a few top secret blueprints."

"How did he break through the prison security system?" Robin asked. "Obviously, Gizmo learned a new trick or two."

"We are currently working to find out that specific piece of information..."

"Should we wait for Starfire?" Cyborg asked.

"Actually, I don't even think we'll need the full team for this. Raven, you and Starfire stay here just in case Gizmo is a distraction; If we need back-up I'll set off your pager."

Raven looked over and saw Kory, in uniform, hiding behind the wall listening to the whole conversation.

"Robin, I can go. I know you've overexerted yourself lately. Maybe it would be in your best interest to sit this one out?" Raven suggested, trying her best not to look over at Kory's face. She had obviously put on makeup and fixed her hair. Raven felt her stomach turn with guilt. "If Gizmo is, in fact, a distraction, wouldn't it make more sense for the leader to stay behind and issue orders from command?"

**_I shouldn't have gotten_********_involved. I shouldn't have gotten involved. I shouldn't have gotten involved._**

"Raven, you have a point, but you and Star both have the ability to get to a scene quicker than I; it would make more sense for me to be in town already.

Robin turned back to the monitor to continue talking to the mayor of JumpCity. Raven knew that getting him to stand back was a lost cause. She glanced over at the grief-stricken face of her lonely friend, standing behind the door and couldn't help the overwhelming sense of guilt that encompassed her.

**_This is all of my fault._**

"...Good luck Titans. Over and out!" The screen went black.

"Okay, boys... let's go!" Robin exclaimed.

"Could I talk to you for a quick second? Just a seco-" She had to try although she knew at that point, it was hopeless.

"When I get back Raven, okay? Time to go." And they were gone.

**She silently meditated to herself in order to arrive at an instant solution; perhaps she could quickly telepath Robin to bring some flowers home, although that would be as pointless as trying to talk to him. **

**Maybe if she just explained to situation to Kory, she would understand. Raven glanced over to where the hidden titan had been standing – nothing. **Starfire had removed herself from the shadows and Raven quickly identified just how heartbroken she was; in fact, Raven couldn't remember ever seeing her this sad.

Raven thought about going after her, but stopped herself.

**_Would that even help the situation? What's better: letting her know that her boyfriend forgot their anniversary all together – or – letting her think that he dropped the plans with her to stop a lunatic from running wild in the city?_**

Raven really had no idea what to do. **_I really suck at all of this relationship crap._**

"Don't worry about it Raven..." her apathy spoke within her. "At least you tried."

* * *

Kory had often watched movies or read stories where the main characters complained of a deadening numbness that coursed through their bodies rendering them helpless. She had never known what that meant – until now. Numb. That is how she felt – numb.

She entered the bedroom and plopped down on the edge of the bed, her entire body acting as dead weight. She couldn't believe that this situation was even happening. She had always been the nice, quiet, innocent Kory – the "never say anything to offend anyone," Kory – the "don't ask too many questions because you don't want to annoy people with your curiosity," Kory.

The numbness quickly subsided making way for a new set of emotions– every inch of her body filled with anger and resentment. She stood up from her position on the bed and started to pace the width of the room. Kory usually felt as though she needed to keep her composure but at that moment, she didn't care. She wasn't worried about the fact that she was most likely overreacting and she certainly didn't think about what Dick's reaction would be.

**_Screw Dick!_**

Dick was the reason she was so angry right now; he was the reason that she felt as though her heart had been ripped out of her chest and stomped on by a giant shoe or rather Robin's ugly boot.

Then she started asking herself why.

As soon as the question came, the anger taking over Kory's body relinquished some of its control and allowed sadness to enter the equation. Kory felt her legs give out and she collapsed to the ground crying profusely on the carpeted floor. She had never felt this unhappy before; in fact, she was sure that 'sad' was an Earthly emotion because she never experienced such distress on Tamaran.

**_Why?_**

There it was; the question that she desperately avoided. In her opinion, he had abandoned her, for what, so he could get a little fighting practice in by beating up a little bald guy? He could have let Raven go, but no.

"He had to go because the city simply cannot survive without him." She thought about her remark.

It wasn't true. He **knew**the city would survive without him. He had left the city multiple times to go off and fight with whatshisface in Gotham City. He had also sat out a full two weeks recovering from a couple of broken ribs. He knew damn well that the other titans could have handled the fight; he just chose to go because he **wanted** to. He **wanted** to go fight crime instead of spending the time with her. Kory gasped.

**_He wanted the distraction; he wanted something to happen to get out of anything that he had planned._**

Still crying, Kory rose up off the floor and made her way to the vanity where she took a seat on the long bench. Thick mascara deposits had formed under her eyes, her face was red, eyes bloodshot, and her hair was a mess; she had spent hours preparing her hair and makeup just for **him****.**

She gazed into the mirror trying to recognize herself, but couldn't' this wasn't her. Kory ran her fingers under her eye attempting to reduce the evidence of crying but instead only made it worse by smearing it down her cheek. She glanced over at the dress that was hanging on the closet door – the dress that she was about put on before the siren began to sound – she felt like an idiot. Who says that he would have even asked her to marry him, anyway? Why had she allowed herself to get her hopes up? Why did she allow herself to think that things could ever be different? Staring at her reflection, Kory couldn't help but get angrier.

**_Why will the city always come first?_**

**_Why do I know what I want and he does not?_**

**_Why am I reacting like this?_**

She couldn't take it anymore. While letting out a heavy scream, Kory grabbed the first thing she could and chucked it at the hideous misrepresentation of herself causing it to shatter. Still not satisfied, she violently wiped her hands across the vanity causing all its contents to crash onto the floor. She looked at her now bleeding hands, not even feeling the pain. The numbness had returned.

* * *

"So yeah, dude, we probably should have brought the girls along. A star bolt to that little twerps hard drive would have more than done the trick."

Before following the guys into the bedroom corridor, Dick stopped by the kitchen to get a glass water. The main room was dark making it very difficult to navigate.

**_Sure Gar and Victor have it made, they have night vision. Note to self: Have Bruce design me some sleek night goggles._**

"Ahem," Dick heard someone in the darkness clearing their throat; he quickly placed his hand on his Bo staff, preparing for a fight if an intruder had infiltrated the tower security system.

"Kory?"

"Guess again."

"Oh, hey Raven, why are you sitting here in the dark?" Dick relaxed himself and started walking toward the corridor.

"You may not want to go back there right now, Dick. She is pretty pissed off at you." Raven said, standing up.

"Why would she be pissed at me?" Dick raised an unseen eyebrow. He was getting pretty tired of screwing up, just once could he do something right?

"I'm going to bed; goodnight." Raven said, disappearing.

"Wow... whatever." Dick said to himself as made his way down the hall. He never really knew Kory to be "pissed" especially at him. He closed his eyes before opening the door, not knowing what to expect.

The room looked like a disaster area. There was broken glass everywhere and vanity items strewn all around the room. He noticed that there were bloodstains on the carpet and on Kory's clothes. And then his eyes fell upon Kory – his beautiful Kory. Her golden face, streaked with mascara residue and her fiery hair, a mess. She was standing at the closet throwing her clothes into a suitcase.

"Kory, what are you doing?" Dick swallowed the lump in his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Dick, I think that it would be best if I slept in my old room for a few days – nothing permanent – just a few days."

"Why? And if it wouldn't be permanent, then why are you packing up all of your clothes?" His voice squeaked. He had no idea what he had done, but he needed to fix this - fast.

Kory stopped what she was doing and turned to Dick. "Did you just ask me 'why'?"

"Yeah; Kory, I have no idea what's going on. In order for me to fix things, you're going to have to tell me. And why does this room look like a storm hit it? Why's the mirror sha-" Kory cut him off mid-sentence.

"I will play your "I do not know" game. I do not know...why the mirror is shattered. I do not know...why the room looks like disaster zone. I **do** know, however, that today was, our six-month anniversary. I also know that on today, of all days, you chose to parade your skills around town instead of spending the night with me. I can only guess that you did so to avoid me. I am going to give you a little bit of space and sleep in my room for a while." Kory didn't even bother to stop the tears that were forming in her eyes.

The realization hit Dick like a ton of bricks. It **was** their anniversary today.

How could he have forgotten? No wonder she had been so sad all day, she was waiting for him to remember! This was an easy argument to fix – although he didn't really understand why she was getting so upset about it.

"Kory, I am sorry; I don't really understand why you are getting this upset about it though, I mean, you never made a big deal out of anniversaries before."

"No, but you do! You are so wrapped up in yourself that you totally forgot about my feelings. You are a selfish, cruel, heartless person who is only concerned about one thing- proving that you are good enough: to Batman, to this city, to the Titans. The only one that you do not care about proving yourself to is me."

Dick couldn't control his blood as it started to boil. "Selfish? Cruel? Heartless? I don't see how I abandoned you, but I'll go along with you and say that I did. I'm the leader of this team and it's **my**responsibility to make sure things run efficiently around here. I had you and Raven stay back as a part of a much grander scheme. It wasn't about **you** Kory; it had nothing to do with me needing a distraction. I'd say that if anyone were being selfish around here, it'd be you."

Kory opened her mouth to offer a rebuttal and Dick stopped her.

"No, let me finish. So that takes care of selfish, let's move on to cruel and heartless. I don't see how you can even say that about me. I put my life on the line every day and night for this city, for Gotham, for the Titans and yes, you; I always have. If that's cruel and heartless then I'm stumped, Kory."

"Dick, all I am saying is that you could have taken one night to stay behind and spend with me; Raven could have taken your spot. I really do not see what the difference would have been." Kory crossed her arms over her chest. She wanted to see how he would try to explain that.

"Kory, you are a Titan; this isn't just my job, it's your job. You signed up for this – noone forced you to join this team - our team! Above all else, the city and its citizens come first; not our anniversary, not romantic nights at home, nothing; that's all included in the job description. I thought it was understood; this has never been an issue with you before and for the life of me, I don't know why it is now."

**_Who is this standing before me and what have they done with my girlfriend?_**

She did agree that she was sounding selfish. "I do realize that I am coming off selfish, Dick, but I do not mean to be. I cannot help how I feel; I have been holding it in for so long that now it is just exploding within me. I feel like I am going crazy and I cannot stop myself."

"Okay, look; let's just calm down; we are both starting to act a little irrational and we need to stop arguing before we both say hurtful things that we don't mean. I have a confession to make that may clear up a few things." Dick threw up his hands as a sign of peace.

"Yes?"

"I have noticed that you've been acting kind of different lately and I think I know why."

Kory narrowed her eyes at him, wondering what he was going to say. There couldn't be anyway that he'd found out about her betrothal on Tamaran. She'd taken precautionary measures and promptly deleted her father's transmission. Plus, if he knew, he wouldn't be acting so calmly about it; Dick would be furious. Still, her heart began to race out of her chest in fear of what he may say next.

"You want to get married."

Kory's heart relaxed a bit at his words, but why does he say that like it is a bad thing? Should she not want that? "Dick, I do not quite understand; should I not want marriage out of our 'arrangement'? Is that not a common 'next step' in a long-term relationship?"

They had never spoken about "the future" with one another before; a hero's relationship isn't like that of a normal couple and she knew that. She knew that the fight for justice wasn't always fair and that planning a life with someone that may not be around tomorrow seemed a bit silly; nevertheless, she wasn't a slave to the human race. Just because she volunteered to protect a race of beings that she'd grown to love, did not mean that she was going to give up any semblance of happiness. Even if said happiness just so happened to be with a member of that lovely human race.

"Yes, but you don't understand; now is not a good time."

"What does this have to do with your confession?" Kory stared at him in confusion; she honestly had no idea where he was trying to go with this conversation.

"That was my confession, Kory. You've been acting different lately; it's a small, but albeit noticeable change in your behavior. I understand that for a while now, you've wanted me to propose to you. Today, I saw the look on your face as we were leaving the restaurant; you were hoping that I was going to ask you, weren't you?"

Kory offered no response.

"And this is why you got so mad about our anniversary, right? Because you thought I was going to propose?"

It took all of Kory's self-control to keep her from shooting him with a star bolt. Why was he making her out to be some pathetic shlorg?

"Kory, there are just so many things at stake right now. What happens when someone attacks you and uses you as bait to get to me? I cannot risk losing you; you are too important to me."

"It is extremely presumptuous of you to think that my recent behavioral alterations are exclusively linked to the absence of your proposal. I will admit, as of late, I have somewhat buried myself in the idea of marriage as an escape from more serious matters that have taken recent precedent in my life."

Dick remained silent as he somewhat regretted buying her that Oxford English dictionary as a gift a few birthdays ago. Big words usually meant that she'd thrown up a wall of defense and those were very difficult to break through. She had a point – Dick hadn't thought to attribute blame to her missing brother; perhaps his assumptions about marriage had been a bit too hasty.

"Second, let me make a few things clear. I do not hang around like some pathetic glorphenk desperately waiting for you to propose to me! I don't just sit around praying to X'Hal for it to happen."

"We are part of a team- we have all placed the responsibility of protecting this city on ourselves; not just you. We make commitments to our teammates every day – a trust that we all must depend on. Then why is a personal commitment such a big deal? I have been thinking about it lately and I do not think that it is. Do you honestly think that if we got married, the city would fall to shambles? Because it would not, we would fight just as we do now, if not moreso, to live another day. I thrive on happiness, Dick. You could too if you would just give it a chance. How dare you use my safety as an excuse not to marry me? I do not need your protection; I am a trained Tamaranean warrior, fully capable of taking care of myself."

Kory swallowed before proceeding with her final statement. "I am so perplexed by you. You strive to be your own individual, a warrior for justice in your own right; however, you keep falling underneath the shadow of your Batman and you let it consistently foul your efforts." She walked over and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps, -"

"Don't touch me!" Dick said, shrugging away her hand. "You don't have any idea what you're talking about."

"I have an idea, Dick. You come home in a weird mood every time you work with him. Do you not think I notice? I do not know why you still torture yourself by trying to be something that you are never going to be."

"Kory, just stop..." Dick warned. Family was a touchy subject and one that he didn't want dragged into this particular argument.

"I am not trying to bring you discomfort with my words, but I feel that is an issue that needs to be addressed."

"Kory, stop. You have no idea, none, about my past and what haunts me. So don't talk about it like you're an expert on the subject."

"You are right, I am not. I have no idea because you never tell me. In fact, you never tell me anything. Sometimes I feel as though I do not know you at all. I guess I can just add that to the reasons we do not work as a couple."

"...You don't think we work as a couple..."

Kory saw the impact she had made and immediately felt awful. "Dick, I am so sorry... I did not mean that."

Dick couldn't even speak.

"You threw old words at me not too long ago, 'someone once told me that you could not support those who don't support you'. So I do not understand, why you would recite it back to me if you did not feel it was advice worth taking for yourself."

"That was just a little bit different," Dick said, obviously biting back anger.

"Except for the fact that I am forbidden to go home, how is my situation any different? How is my situation a lesser version of your own?" Kory could tell that the conversation was heading into dangerous territory now, but she couldn't stop it. She was furious that he would take her familial problems so lightly, but then place such importance on his own. "You are being a hypocrite."

"And you are being a complete bitch!" The words flew out of Dick's mouth before he could stop them and as soon as she heard them, they cut through her like a knife. He never spoke so harshly toward her.

Kory glared at him for a few seconds before giving her attention back to her suitcase. "I am a bitch? Then you are...you are..." She searched her brain for an appropriate English term that epitomized everything she felt he was in that exact moment; however, in this instance, English wasn't going to work. "You are a Klorbag!"

"Well great, I am a klorbag?! If I am such a klorbag, than there's not even a point in being together anymore. In fact, I probably never should have started a relationship with you in the first place. Instead of moving back to your room temporarily, make the move permanent. Get out!" Dick practically pushed Kory out of his room and put her suitcase out in the hall.

"That wasn't how that was supposed to happen..." Kory said quietly, lifting up on the handle. She didn't even bother to wipe away the tears falling down her face.

* * *

She looked at her hand before turning the knob to enter her old bedroom. She definitely felt the pain now. She picked out the pieces of glass and wiped any remaining blood on her pants. The argument definitely didn't go well. She really didn't know what she had been thinking.

**_Why did I say all of those hateful things?_******

_She knew that she hadn't been feeling like herself lately; in fact, at that moment, she felt like a shell. The news of her father's illness had bothered her more than she had let on -_**_Perhaps I too am guilty of not disclosing enough information._**

He had told her that he was severely ill. That news was hard enough to hear without the information that followed it:

_"Koriand'r, you must return to Tamaran," her father's words bellowed through the speakers of her portable transmission module. She had relocated to the roof to take the "call" in private, but his voice was so loud, that she was sure all of __Jump__City__ could hear it._

_"We have had this discussion and I will not have it again, father. Earth is my home; I am serving a purpose here."_

_"Child, I don't have much time left and I need an And'r heir by my side when I pass; you are the only one left that can take my place."_

_"Only heir left? What of Ryand'r?" The question hung in Kory's throat as she was deathly afraid of hearing the answer. She had already lost her mother at such a young age._**_Not Ryand'r too, please, X'Hal._**

_"Koriand'r, I thought you had received word. Ryand'r has been missing in battle for a while now. We suspect that he was sacrificed by the rebel forces."_

_Kory didn't know how to react; it made her sick to think that anyone would turn against their own kind like that._

_"No, I did not receive news of it," she said solemnly. "But it still does not change things, I cannot come to Tamaran."_

_"If you do not, the throne will be passed on to the Ond'r name."_

_Kory knew the Ond'r name very well._**_Sorond'r... on Earth he would be called my childhood sweetheart, but on Tamaran, he is my betrothed; a fact that I was not aware of until I was 15._** _She hadn't had contact with Sorond'r since he left for warrior training on Okaara a year before she did; he never returned. She wasn't too heartbroken, though. Something about their relationship had always seemed forced and controlled. When she found out from Blackfire that they had been betrothed since she was age one, she automatically dispelled the idea of being with him- out of principle._

_Her father had grown up with Sorond'r's father, Gorond'r. In the stories they tell, they were the best of friends since childhood. When her grandfather passed his crown down to her father, Gorond'r was his first appointed advisor._

_"Gorond'r is your most trusted friend, father. Would it be so bad if he were to resume rule?"_

_"Gorond'r is aging as well, Koriand'r; the successor would be Sorond'r"_

_"Again, would that be terrible?"_

_"Our family line has been ruling this planet for centuries and the fact that you would abandoned your royal duties is most disappointing and disrespectful, Koriand'r. I expected more loyalty from you, but I suppose you are free to make your own choices. I do not possess the resources required to do anything about it; however, Sorond'r does. I feel he will not be as lenient with your freedom as I have been."_

_She felt the fire burning in her eyes as she listened to what her father was saying. Through gritted teeth, she asked, "What is that supposed to mean?"_

_"You are his betrothed; bound by Tamaranean law. On this planet, he owns you. We are at war, a wife at his side is crucial for intergalactic diplomacy. Should you deny him, he has the right to send the council to bring you back by force." She could tell that her father wasn't too happy with that prospect. "That is why it is important that you come back."_

_"The council? I would like to see him try!" She raised her voice angrily. "I have friends here! Friends that would help me fight for my freedom."_

_"You know as well as I do, that a group of Earthlings wouldn't stand a chance against the council. If you cared about your friends, you would spare them the defeat."_

_Kory thought long and hard about it; he was right. The council would not be concerned with fatalities; her friends could die._

_"You must not shy away from your duties as an And'r."_

_"I will come, father." Kory announced. "Under one condition."_

_"What is that. my child?"_

_"Dick will accompany me. I will stay and take the throne until I can decide on an suitable replacement."_

_"If you bring that off-worlder onto this planet as your...mate... you will most certainly deal with a revolt of epic proportion. I urge you to reconsider."_

_"I will not."_

_"Then I have no choice but to ban your Earthling from Tamaran; as long as you are with him, you are no longer welcome. If Sorond'r wishes to enforce action against you, then I wish your soul well."_

The news of Tamaran stressed her out greatly.

**_Perhaps I was hiding behind marriage as an excuse not to go to Tamaran; maybe I was hoping that my people would except me if I were already married?_**

She knew now how ridiculous she had been acting and suddenly felt embarrassed. Instead of just communicating with Dick and telling him what had been bothering her, she let everything build up.

She immediately wanted to turn around and go apologize until she remembered him shoving her out of his room.

"He probably does not care to talk to me right now; I should wait."

When she finally did talk to him though, she decided that she was going to tell him everything that had been going on. He may even be able to dispense some useful advice.

As she opened the door, she was struck be an eerie feeling. The room had been empty for a couple of years now. It most certainly didn't possess the homey feel that it used it. She felt as though she should be crying, but she was out of tears. She looked around the room and took in all of her old scenery. The closet was partially open with an old uniform hanging in it. The light lavender walls were barren. There were some very dusty bookshelves set up in the left side of the room and on the right side, sat a big wooden desk. On the desk, a picture of her and Dick when they'd first started dating. Kory tried to take in a deep breath, causing a large amount of dust to fill her nostrils. The sneeze that occurred afterward stirred up even more dust.

She sat on her old bed and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. **_This room is depressing._** She couldn't be there right now. She just needed to get out of the tower; maybe, she just needed time to think- some time alone. She ran through a list of friends in her mind and couldn't think of any. All the friends she had were titans and they were all asleep by now. **_I guess I will just go into town and see what_********_happens._** Starfire washed all of the old makeup off her face, all of the dried blood off of her hands and put up her hair all before changing out of her bloody clothes and into jeans and a shirt. She stepped out onto the balcony and shivered – she would indeed need a coat.

She closed her bedroom door and made her way through the Titan tower. Flying would be out of the question right now; she was too upset. She was going to have to travel the old-fashioned way- on foot. She made her way downstairs and stopped in the garage.

**_The bicycle._**

Dick had taught her to ride a few years back and she had totally forgotten about it.

**_Well, it is better than walking._**

* * *

The first thing that caught his eye was Kory's destroyed vanity. He had never gotten an official answer about what happened, but he could guess. She had gotten so upset that she felt the need to break something. He never knew Kory to get like this before and the fact that he was the cause broke his heart. It didn't help his conscience at all. He could only assume that his neglect and absent-mindedness had finally driven someone over the edge - his Kory.

He started to pace back and forth in his room, thinking about the horrible things that he had just said to the love of his life.

He had broken up with her; the thought of being her ex-boyfriend made him physically ill; he wouldn't be able to function if she weren't his.

"Stupid!" Dick yelled, slamming his fist into his bedside table.

**_All she said to me where the things I've been thinking to myself for 3 months...and I called her a bitch for it...Real. Smart._**

Dick sat on the edge of his bed and tried to calm down, but it didn't help. The more he thought about what happened, the more it made him nauseous. Before he knew what was happening, Dick felt himself rising to his feet and running to his bathroom to vomit up what seemed to be a week's worth of food. He couldn't remember the last time that he'd thrown up last. Oh wait, yes he could.

In order to move to titans tower permanently, Bruce made Dick had to agree to graduate first, because no heir Wayne Enterprises would go without the best diploma that Bruce could buy. Upon arrival in JumpCity, he enrolled in Brierton Prep, the best private school that JumpCity had to offer - because the public school system obviously isn't good enough for the ward of billionaire, Bruce Wayne.

**_I guess being the best school in the city still doesn't protect its cafeteria from an outbreak_**.

During his senior year, he had broken down and decided to eat in the cafeteria even though he had made it a point never to eat in there before; of course the day he eats there is the day that bacteria is on the menu. He was sick for two, almost three days. He even had to go to the hospital because Raven couldn't help his severe dehydration.

Once he got back from the hospital, Kory took the best care of him.

He stopped hugging the toilet and leaned back against the wall continuing to think; Kory had always taken good care of him. He thought back to the rest of his senior year and remembered how hard it was to juggle the Titans and high school, but he had done it, with Kory's help. **_Kory._**

**_What am I going to do?_**

He needed to talk to her. There was no way that they were "over." She had to know that he didn't mean that; that he could never mean that. Surely, she knew how much she meant to him. When **was**the last time he told her how much she meant to him? Dick frowned. He couldn't remember. She had been right about another thing; he never really filled her in on his past. It was just habit – he never spoke about his past to anyone; it was too painful. He would make everything up to her, somehow. He just needed to talk to her first. He got up from his spot on the floor and rinsed his mouth out.

* * *

Dick stood in front of her door, knocking, for what felt like ten minutes. When no one answered, he knocked again.

"Kory? Please answer the door. I'm sorry; will you open the door? I just want to talk to you, please?"

…Still no answer…

He typed in her numeric code and heard the door unlock. He opened the door to a dark room and turned on the light – she wasn't even in here. He saw her bloody clothes in the laundry hamper and her suitcase unzipped and laying on the bed. Dick wracked his brain trying to think of all the places that she may have gone and then he noticed the door to her balcony was unlocked. She must have walked out there and forgotten to lock it back.

**_Her coat is missing, too. She must have left... where would she go?_**

Dick could only assume that she went into town. Dick ran into his bedroom, grabbed his leather jacket and commenced his new mission: **To find Kory and bring her back.**


	5. Chapter Four

**UPDATED MARCH 2013**

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue

**Quick Note:** I know it may be a little confusing at first, but as the captain behind this ship (because is words could build a ship, this story would be the Titanic) I ask you to trust me. All will be revealed in due time and then you won't be confused any more. J

* * *

**.:. Bound To You .:.**

Chapter 4

* * *

Kory felt the light raindrops fall on her face, washing away the tears that had spilled over her clenched eyelids. She was wide-awake, but desperately tried to keep her eyes clamped shut, not wanting to be reminded of her assailant; she told herself to remain strong. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry, but her resilience was fading fast. Being flooded with a surplus of emotions for the second time that night had completely exhausted her. She wasn't used to feeling this helpless and was angry at herself for not being able to do anything about the situation.

She tried to summon whatever little power she could, but there was no hope. Once her eyes were open, she found it hard to close them again; for some reason, she felt the urge to watch his every movement. Something about this moment felt vaguely familiar to her, even though she knew it was morbid of her to think so. She couldn't decide what was more disturbing, the fact that sexual assault felt familiar to her, or the fact that was happening in the first place.

She turned her head as much as her position allowed, trying to avoid the raindrops from choking her. Nothing about her surroundings _seemed _familiar, but all of the bushes surrounding her led her to believe that she was definitely in a park of some kind. She cursed herself inwardly for letting him catch her off guard; she should have known better. She had no idea how she got there, but if her pounding headache and slight paralysis were any indication…

His breath reeked of alcohol, cheap alcohol. The smell kept wafting underneath her nostrils, making her cringe with nausea. He kept trying to kiss her, but luckily, she was able to turn away his advances.

"Just kiss me."

"No," she croaked. Her throat felt raw, no doubt from vocal strain and dehydration.

Not satisfied with her answer, he tried kissing her again and for the second time, she moved her head to the side.

"Fine, you want to play like that, princess? I'll just have to kiss something else."

She watched his hands intently as they moved from her hips and made their way to the collar of her shirt.

He took hold of the fabric and pulled it apart, causing an instant rip that left Kory exposed to the rain and to his sickening gaze. Hastily, he pulled her bra up over her breasts and began attacking them with his unkind lips.

"Wow, does someone like this more than they thought they would?" he said noticing her nipples raise.

"No." She opened her mouth and tried to let out a scream from the bottom of her throat, but it only came out as a light growl.

"No screaming unless it's my name."

She finally closed her eyes again, not wanting to see anymore.

Her breasts were killing her; he was being so rough with them that they were actually starting to go numb and Kory couldn't help but think that maybe, numbness wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"I do want you to know that I love you...so much..."

Kory had to hold back her urge to speak. She was trying to save up enough energy in order to call for help, but that wasn't going to work if he kept trying to bait her into speaking.

She felt his weight shift off of her body and heard the jingle of a belt buckle and the sound of a zipper being pulled; her eyes jolted open as she realized what was about to take place. If Kory was anything, it sure as hell wasn't a victim. If it did happen, there was no way that she was going down without her strongest fight. She used all of the strength she could muster to buck her body and it caught him off guard. She quickly rolled over and tried to pick herself up off the ground, but she wasn't fast enough. He angrily grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her back down.

"Why did you have to go and do that? I was trying to be as nice as possible, but now you've ruined it."

He shoved down his pants and underwear and laid his body on top of hers to insure that she wouldn't try any more stunts.

Kory tried to wriggle free, but she realized that there wasn't any use.

She silently cursed herself for not wearing pants that night as he lifted up her skirt and moved her panties to the side.

"Please, you don't have to do this," Kory pleaded loudly using all the voice that she had been saving up. She opened her eyes and met his gaze. "You don't."

He used his free hand to cover her mouth and he leaned down to whisper into her ear. "Don't worry princess. If you just relax, you'll like it; I promise."

As soon as he said it, he entered her with force making her scream in pain against his hand.

"If you relax, it won't hurt as bad."

He pulled out and shoved himself back into her aggressively, removing his hand from her mouth in order to prop himself up.

As the pain shot through her abdomen, she had to bite back the tears. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right; she needed to relax. However, she couldn't concentrate on doing so because his grunting noises desperately made her want to vomit; she had never heard anything so vile and disgusting. It also didn't help that aside from the drizzling rain, there was zero lubrication. He was pumping into her continuously and each thrust only brought more pain.

"...please stop..." She started to become increasingly light-headed, a sure sign that she was about to pass out – either from pain, or the roofie that was still being broken down by her metabolism.

"You don't know how long I have waited for this moment, Kory."

She felt his thrusts start to become more urgent; she knew he was starting to get close to his climax.

"KORY!"

* * *

Dick pulled into Jump City Central Park—his search had failed. Three hours of looking around and calling her name had proved pointless; there was no telling where she was.

"She is probably at the tower asleep by now anyway," Dick said aloud.

He looked up, letting the sprinkles fall on his face. "I guess I could stay a little longer," Dick talked to himself as he began walking to his favorite spot. "Worst-case scenario, I'll get pneumonia and Kory will feel obligated to take care of me. Although, I wouldn't blame her if she didn't."

Dick didn't know why, but talking aloud really helped him deal with difficult situations. Bruce had offered the idea to him as a coping mechanism after his parents died. It had really helped and it just stuck with him after that. He was thankful that the park was empty, or else he would have looked like an idiot.

"I can't believe I forgot our anniversary. I knew it was coming up! How could I have been so wrapped up in everything that I forgot six years with Kory? And why did I have to be such a douche about the marriage thing? After that spiel, I wouldn't be surprised if she refused to marry me at all." Dick took a seat on the wet swing.

"She is right... she can definitely take care of herself; I have no idea what the fuck I was thinking."

"YES I DO. I was trying to find excuses because deep down, commitment terrifies me, but why should it? We've been dating for six years...we sleep in the same bed...we have sex...we drive each other crazy sometimes; hell, we are practically already married!"

_"You don't have to do this."_

Dick's ears perked up at the sound of a faint conversation in the distance. Dick lifted himself out of the swing seat and walked towards the sound, determined to find out what it was.

_"Please…don't."_

Even though the voice was small, he had heard it clearly – it was a cry for help! Dick lifted up each pant leg and pulled out the two interlocking pieces of his mini Bo staff. While reaching into his pocket and pulling out a wrinkled mask, Dick began running towards the distress call.

_"You don't know how long I have waited for this moment, Kory."_

Dick stopped in his tracks. The voice was a bit distorted, but it sounded like it had said, Kory.

"KORY!" He yelled her name causing a reaction in the distance. He watched as a shadowed figure darted off away from the bushes. Instincts told him to run after the figure and he always trusted his instincts; however, he heard intense sobbing coming from the bushes that he couldn't ignore. He looked for the shadowed figure, but it was long gone.

He made his way towards the bushes, hoping that **his**Kory was at home safe in the tower. Before making his way behind them, he cleared his throat to alert whoever was behind them of his presence. Taking a deep breath, he braced himself; he had no idea what to expect. No amount of preparation could ever prepare him for what he saw.

Before his eyes - curled up into a fetal position - was his beautiful Kory, crying and shivering on the damp ground. He looked up and down her body for any signs of immediate danger like bullet holes or stab marks and didn't see any blood or external wounds.

**_Shit!_**

He ran a hand through his ebony locks, stumped on what action to take next. He had no idea how he was supposed to handle this situation. Of course, he'd dealt with rape victims in Gotham, but none of them were his beautiful, innocent, and loving.

She knew that he was watching her and wondering what to do, but she didn't say anything; instead, she began to sob.

Her cries snapped him out of his temporary petrifaction. "Oh Kory!" he exclaimed before sliding to the ground, kneeling beside her and taking her into his arms; he started to rub his hands up and down her shoulders to help her warm up. "Here, babe," he quickly pulled his t-shirt over his head. "Let's put this on you; you're freezing." He unhooked her bra, took it off completely and tossed it to the side before helping her slide his mostly dry t-shirt onto her body. "That should help a little bit." He pulled her torso back towards his bare chest and her body continued to wrack with cries of pain and anguish.

"Kory! Kory, it's going to be okay; I promise." Dick began to rock her back and forth in attempts to soothe her. He placed his hand on the back of her muddy and matted hair and tried to smooth it out. He needed to get Kory back to the tower as soon as possible and he knew that he wouldn't be able to carry her on his motorcycle. He pressed the button marked 'Cyborg' on his pager; he could count on Victor to be discreet and he would be able to find Dick's location via GPS tracking.

"Kory, I just paged Victor, he should be here soon to take you home, okay? We are going to get you checked out." She felt him nod against his chest.

Dick couldn't help but wonder just how far assault had gone before he showed up. He swallowed the mountain forming in his throat. He was too afraid to ask – for not only Kory's sake, but also his own. He didn't know if he would be able to handle the guilt that would come with knowing. He watched her pull away from him and gaze into his eyes. There were a few lacerations on her face, but nothing major. He got a closer look at her neck and noticed the hand shaped bruising. "Kory, did he choke you?" Kory nodded and then placed her hands over her throbbing abdomen. Dick then watched horrified as she turned her back to him and started throwing up.

At that moment Dick realized how far it had gone – his rage flared up.

He clenched his fists, causing his knuckles to turn white.

**_I allowed Kory's rapist to escape._**

**_How could I have been so stupid? I could've caught him!_**

Dick's pulse was starting to race and he knew that he needed to calm down. He looked back over at Kory lying on the ground and noticed that she wasn't moving.

"KORY!"

He scooped her head up off the ground and began checking her vitals.

**_Heart is still beating; pulse heightened, but not abnormal._**

He moved his hands to the back of her head in order to lay her down gently.

"Hey man, what's -" Victor stopped and gasped. "Holy...what the fuck happened?"

Dick ignored his question and concentrated on moving his girlfriend. He slid his arms under Kory's back and lifted up her lifeless body. "Where did you park?"

Dick took note of where Victor pointed and began walking in that direction, not bothering to wait for Victor to lead the way. "Over there." Victor scrambled to catch up to him. "Is she going to be okay? She looks dead."

"She isn't dead, she still has a steady heartbeat; she's just passed out," he reported sternly. "She will be fine as long as we get her to the medical bay. Her body's cold; she will need to be warmed up gradually to prevent her from getting sick." They both approached the car and Victor opened the door to the backseat.

"Is the blanket from the picnic still in the trunk?" Dick asked while gently placing Kory in the backseat of the car. "We could wrap her in it; it would help her regulate her body temperature on her own."

Victor popped open the trunk, pulled out a blanket and tossed it to Dick. "I thought Tamaraneans could withstand extreme temperatures, this shouldn't be affecting her."

Dick wrapped the blanket around her body. "It shouldn't, but it is." When he finished, he shut the door and turned to Victor. "Go straight to Kirk, don't wake up Raven."

"Dick, what happened?"

"I don't have time to answer questions right now," he said starting to walk off. "Just take her straight to Kirk; he will know what to do. I'll meet you there."

"Hey, Dick; ride with me. If you ride your bike in this mess without a shirt on, you're going to be the one needing to go to the medical bay!" Victor called out to him.

"There's something that I need to take care of," he growled and continued to walk off, leaving Victor to his orders.

* * *

Dick walked into the tower and immediately headed towards the medical bay. He had cruised around the area just to see if there were any sign of Kory's attacker, but had no luck. From this point on, he was going to half to depend solely on Kory for any kind of explanation.

Victor was standing outside the bay waiting for Dick to arrive.

"Kirk said that she is fine, she just needs to rest." Victor frowned and lowered his head not wanted to look Dick in the eye. "I don't know how to tell you this but..."

"I know." Victor raised his head. Dick noticed Victor's questioning expression and decided to elaborate. "Well, I didn't know for sure until now, but I drew that conclusion." This caused Victor to nod.

"So no concussion or anything? Before she blacked out, she vomited. I was worried that maybe she hit her head on a rock because I felt a slight bump..." Dick stopped himself; he knew he was rambling.

"He didn't seem too concerned about the blacking out. He said that it was common for trauma victims to pass out due to emotional stress and/or pain." Dick just nodded and Victor continued. "Dick, do you have any idea what happened? I mean, obviously she was upset this evening...because of the fight. Do you think that had some kind of effect on her pow –?"

"So everyone knows about the fight?"

Victor explained himself carefully; he didn't want to make Dick angry. "No offense, but I think everyone in the tower heard the fight." Dick couldn't help but to be embarrassed. He didn't like his personal business broadcasted all over the place.

"Sorry about that."

"No problem, man. Just know that if you need to talk about anything-"

Dick cut him off, "Thanks Victor, I just don't really feel like talking right now. You understand?"

"Understood. Well I'm going to go power down and get some rest... you should get some too; you look like shit." Victor said half-jokingly.

Dick grumbled, "Goodnight, Vic. Thanks."

Victor turned and began walking down the hall. Dick took this opportunity to go in and see Kory. When he walked in, he spotted Kirk, their medic, in the corner of the room.

"So I have some good news and some bad news. What do you want first?"

"I think I already know the bad news, Kirk; let's start with the good." Dick said while walking over to where Kory was sleeping.

**_I could use a little good news right about now._**

"Well, the guy wore a condom; which is good considering – "

"Yeah..." Dick said, cutting him off. He really didn't want to hear about any of the details right now.

"The bad news is just the same. He wore a condom. There is no DNA evidence to run; I really am sorry Robin, but I don't know where do go from here; the only thing we can do is wait and hope that Starfire feels like talking about it—which my experience says she won't."

"Thanks, Kirk. You've honestly done enough. I can only imagine how exhausted you are. I can handle everything else; you should go get some sleep." Dick frowned. "I'm just going to take her to our room and hope that I can rest myself."

Dick lifted Kory up gently and carried her to his bedroom. He considered taking her to her own bedroom but decided against it because he didn't want her to wake up alone. He hoped that tomorrow she wouldn't wake up in any kind of shock.

After tucking her into the covers, Dick took off his shoes and crawled into bed, not even bothering to change his dirty clothes. He had been so focused on getting Kory home and making sure that she was okay, that he hadn't even had the chance to think about what happened.

**_Kory was raped._**

It was too impossible to be true, too unthinkable. He had been unable to find her all night. Maybe if he had tried a little bit harder, he could have avoided all of this. **_I know what would have avoided all of this...If I wouldn't have called her a bitch and then kicked her out, she wouldn't have even gone to town in the first place. I am the one to blame._**

He thought back to the way Kory looked when he had found her – so helpless and distraught.. He felt the tears start to fill his eyes, but he didn't want to succumb to them.

**_I will not cry._**

He quickly wiped his eyes and turned over to look at Kory's sleeping figure. All he wanted to do was go back in time and fix all of this, but he knew that it wasn't possible. He was going to have to deal with this whether he wanted to or not.

"Kory, I'm so sorry."


	6. Chapter Five

**UPDATED MARCH 2013**

**Disclaimer:** See Prologue.

* * *

**.:. Bound To You.:.**

Chapter 5

* * *

Dick groaned and tossed in his bed. He was usually early to rise, but today waking up was the last thing that he wanted to do. However, the obnoxious sun currently glaring through the windows had a different idea. Deciding that any attempt to go back to sleep would be futile, he shielded the sun's rays with the back of his hand and sat up. Kory's wet figure laid beside him, curled up in one of his old, worn-out t-shirts.

"Kory?" Dick questioned, placing his hand gently on her shoulder. "Are you awake?"

"Yes, I have been awake for quite some time now." Kory straightened out and turned to face Dick. "I did not wish to wake you up; you were sleeping so peacefully."

Dick remained silent, not knowing exactly how to proceed with the conversation that he didn't want to have.

"Dick, I apologize about the bed sheets. I did not mean to make them so dirty; I will clean them today." Kory frowned as she began to sit up. Dick noticed that the sheets were indeed filthy, but that wasn't her problem.

"Kory, don't worry about the bed sheets." He smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I have more."

Kory just nodded and turned her head to the side.

"Kory..." Dick started. His detective-centric mind reeled with curiosity and even though his heart wouldn't be able to handle any of the answers, he knew that he wanted to know the answers – no, _needed_ to know the answers. Maybe now wasn't the right time, though. They had just woken up.

"I am going to take a shower. Do you want to meet me in the main room? I will make you some breakfast."

"Alright." She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. "I need to go to my room anyway; I need to change. I moved the clothes that I want to wear into my old bedroom."

"You know, you can move your stuff back in here if you like; I really didn't mean what I said last night and I shouldn't have said any of it," Dick said with a sad face.

"Okay; I will do that later." Kory seemed expressionless; a fact that was a bit odd considering that all she'd ever been was a bundle of unbridled love, passion, excitement and sometimes anger. To see her with a blank face unnerved him.

"Great," Dick smiled slightly. He was glad that the whole fight wasn't going to be a big deal, although he also knew that the fight was probably the last thing on her mind. "I shouldn't have kicked you out; I feel terrible about it."

Kory walked away from the bed and headed toward the door. "It is fine, Dick," she tried to say cheerfully, but it came out too sugary for her tastes. "We all say things that we regret. I think it would be best if we forgot that the argument ever happened."

Dick pursed his lips and looked at her intensely. He didn't necessarily want to forget that the fight never happened; obviously, there were issues to iron out. Things weren't "okay" no matter how much she portrayed them to be, no matter how much _he wanted_ them to be. He walked over to his dresser to pull out some clean undergarments before heading into the bathroom to take his shower.

"Kory... I love you," he said as he turned around to face an empty room.

* * *

Kory left Dick's room quickly before she suffered a breakdown. If last night was any indication, she wasn't up for showing any more vulnerability. It wasn't a big deal – right? This would all blow over and in a few days, everything would be back to normal.

She stepped inside of her room and quickly shut the door. Her energy seemed to keep coming and going; just now, she barely mustered up enough energy to walk from Dick's room to hers. She sat down on the floor and pulled her knees in under her chin. She allowed a few tears to fall on her cheek before she wiped them away.

Ever since a nightmare woke her up early, her mind had been in an anxious and emotional whirl. It didn't help that _his_ face kept haunting her thoughts; every time one of them surfaced, Kory found it difficult to function and so far, they were occurring often.

Kory was, admittedly, weak; she watched her hand as she tried to make a star bolt. Her powers were gone. What would become of her if the powers never returned? Would the Titans ship her back to Tamaran? Would Dick still want her?

Kory knew that sitting around and sulking wouldn't help the situation- she was going to force a smile on her face.

* * *

Dick walked into the main room hoping to see Kory waiting for him; however, she was the only titan missing. When he walked in, he noticed his teammates engaging in a deep and very secretive conversation. He couldn't help but shake his head and let out a deep sigh.

"Ahhheeemmm," he cleared his throat to alert them of his presence.

Raven and Victor straightened their posture while Gar, due to being surprised, changed into the form of a mouse. Dick looked over to his shape-shifting friend and said "very fitting" before watching him morph back to his green, humanly form. Both Victor and Raven turned their heads to avoid his gaze.

"Rachel, you too?" He said disappointed, causing Raven to cross her arms over her chest and sink into her chair. "I didn't assume you to be the gossiping type."

"I don't like being called by that name – "

"Dick, we were just talking about the fight and Kory losing her powers, **nothing more**." Victor emphasized. "I'm sorry for the gossip, but Raven –"

"Victor, don't you think that Kory's business should stay Kory's business?" Dick asked, catching the "nothing more" emphasis.

"Not if her powers, or lack of, are going to affect the dynamics of the team," Raven cut in. "Plus, I felt something was wrong. When I mentioned it to Gar and Victor, it turned into the discussion that we were having when you walked in."

Dick growled. He knew that Raven was right, but he still didn't like his and Kory's personal business to be the topic of conversation at breakfast.

"Sorry, but right now I only have Kory in mind and speaking of," he took another quick look around the room even though he knew she wasn't in there, "have any of you seen her this morning? She was supposed to get dressed and meet me in here."

"We haven't seen her pass through here and we have been here all morning. Maybe she's taking a shower?" Gar suggested.

"GOOD MORNING ALL!" Kory bounded into the room with a smile plastered on her face. "Oh isn't it such a beautiful day?"

Dick glared at her skeptically as she walked over and greeted the others.

"Garfield, Victor," She took them both into a hug. "Raven."

"Kory." Raven responded, bracing herself for the hug that followed. To her surprise, it was significantly less intense than her hugs usually were.

"How is everyone this great morning?"

Everyone gave a simultaneous "good" except for Dick; he remained silent. His eyes hadn't left her since she walked into the room. This chipper attitude was just a facade to throw everyone off and there's no way that she thought he would buy it.

"Dick, are you going to cook me some breakfast. You promised me, did you not? I would like a vegetable omelet please."

While he was making his and Kory's food, Dick could overhear Gar making conversation with her; he always made conversation seem so effortless with everyone. Even if he was as annoying as a fly, Gar's friendliness and enthusiasm more than made up for it. Dick had never been jealous of his flamboyant youth before, because Dick, too, never had a problem striking up a conversation with anyone – except today.

When the oven beeped, Dick made sure the omelet was done before putting it on a plate; he announced to her that it was ready and slid the plate on over to Kory who still remained in her seat at the table with Gar.

"Delightful!" she exclaimed.

"So Dick, I never knew you were a whiz in the kitchen. Since when do you know how to cook?" Gar asked. "I don't think I have ever seen you cook before."

Dick took a bite of his omelet and smiled at its taste. There was no way Alfred would let him leave Wayne Manor without knowing how to cook an omelet – not to mention bake a quiche, roast a turkey, create a perfect pasta sauce.

"I know a few things," he said while taking another bite of his delicious food and watching carefully as his girlfriend ate, or rather played around with, hers. She cut up her omelet into little pieces using her fork before taking a small bite.

"He is indeed a very good cook, Gar," Kory saw Dick looking at her and nodded in his direction. "Thanks."

"How come you don't cook more often then?"

"Because Gar, I don't cook for just anyone. Maybe one day, if we start dating, I'll cook for you, too." Dick smiled.

"Damn bro, no need to throw out the sarcasm. Sheesh! I am outta here." Garfield abandoned his seat with his trademark dramatic flair and started walking towards Victor who was already starting up Rock Band. Dick normally would have felt a pang of guilt before dismissing it, but Dick just wanted to be alone with Kory, who now, had only taken two bites of food.

"Is the omelet not good? Would you like me to make you something else?"

"No, Dick, it is great. I am…I am just not that hungry, that is all." Kory stuttered; she had hoped that he wouldn't notice. But, of course, that was just wishful thinking; there wasn't much that he didn't notice.

Dick lowered his voice. "Is everything okay? I mean, are you okay...with everything?"

Her chuckle caught him slightly off guard. "Of course, why wouldn't I be okay?" She noticed the frown that crept upon his face. The last thing she wanted was to be a burden. "Please do not do the stressing out. Really, I am fine."

"Kory, it's okay to be emotional; in fact, it's common to be very upset in these kinds of situations. I can try to help you feel better if you let me."

Kory allowed her smile to fade. "To be honest Dick, I am a bit saddened and weak, but I am not going to let that get in the way of my work. All I require is a few days to heal; I am very happy that you are there for me, but I really do not wish to relive any of the memories right now." Not to mention, she didn't want to release any details about _him; _the last thing she wanted was trouble. Dick going after him would only create problems.

He backed off, not wanting to push her; at least she acknowledged that she was feeling something. Assuming that in a few days, she'd be ready to move forward with finding this thug and subjecting him to justice, Dick backed off the topic. "Kory, I understand; just know that I'm here when you are ready to talk about things."

"Yes, of course." She quickly gave him a peck on the cheek. "I think I am going to go play on the Rock Band. Victor promised that I could sing!" she said, replacing the fake smile on her face. "Would you like to play as well? Garfield told me that you were having problems the last time. Perhaps with a little practice, you could become sufficient?"

Dick remembered attempting to play with them the day before. He started to correct her, but decided against it. "Maybe later Kor... I think I'm going to go out and get some fresh air."

* * *

Raven watched Dick open and shut the door. Victor, in strictest confidence, told her what happened and Raven couldn't shake away the guilt that kept speaking up within her; she tried to suppress it, but it was becoming slightly overwhelming. She needed to tell someone, Dick in particular, or else she was going to explode, maybe not physically, but definitely mentally. Besides, he needed to know, or moreso deserved to know, why his fight with Kory even happened in the first place.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on telepathically connecting to him. _Dick, can we met at the coffeehouse at Baker and 6th? We need to talk; it's important._

* * *

Furious. He was furious.

No, he was beyond furious; Dick glared at Raven as she told him her side of the story. He tried to listen to her as she spoke; however, Dick could only think about how she disobeyed his strict orders to stay out of his head _and_ she had lied to Kory. Then she audaciously asked to meet her at this coffeehouse knowing that he wouldn't cause a giant scene.

_.:. That is exactly right..:._

Dick gritted his teeth in sheer anger. There she was entering his mind,**_again_**. Did she ever learn?

"Raven, stay the fuck out of my head!" he said softly through his teeth. "I will not tell you again!"

"Dick, you haven't said a word in at least two minutes. I'm sorry and I know you're upset; you have every right to be, but you have to understand that I had to tell you. My emotions about the situation are interfering with my daily routine. I thought that maybe if I talked to you and Kory, then I could help fix the whole situation."

Dick scoffed. "Trust me, there's nothing you can fix." He stood up from his chair and grabbed his coffee. "I'm leaving."

He walked out the door hoping that Raven wouldn't follow him. He really didn't feel like dealing with her right now.

"Dick, please wait!"

**_Of course she had to follow me, she can't just let well enough alone._**

"Dick, whatever it is that you need or want to say to me, I want you to say it. I, of all people, know the importance of controlling and channeling one's emotions; however," Raven chose her words carefully. "I'm afraid that some ways you choose to channel your emotions aren't the best."

Dick glared at her before dropping his head to stare at his shoe.

"Instead of going out and looking for someone to 'beat to a pulp', it would be better for you to actually communicate your anger towards me and get it out in the open. I feel terrible, Dick. I deserve whatever you throw at me and if I have to follow you around like an annoying little kid before you yell at me, then so be it." Raven walked around to face him. "You're my teammate and my friend; I care about you."

Dick looked up from the ground and met Raven's concerned gaze. "Raven, stay the fuck away from me right now. Stay out of my life, my relationship and especially my head. I'm so pissed off at you right now! You entered my mind, invaded my privacy and then on top of that, lied to Kory...saying I had plans for her..."

"What was I supposed to tell her? She had her hopes up because, of course, she didn't expect you to forget a six-year anniversary. Kory—Starfire- has matured greatly over the years, but when it comes to you, she's still naïve. She came to me and begged to know if you were going to do something. I couldn't very well stand there and tell her that the love of her life had nothing planned; it would have broken her heart – I couldn't do it... I just thought that maybe I could fix the situation. You are right; I shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place."

"You should have stayed out of it."

"I'm sorry Dick, but Kory is my friend; I cannot and will not stand idly by while –"

"Stop it right there, Raven." Dick stopped her. "You asked me to vent to you and now you are going to turn this around to make me feel even worse than I already do. Do **not** do that. I'm not the bad person here; do you understand? If you told her no to begin with, you wouldn't have had to lie. And yes, Raven, I know she is still naïve to some things; you are trying to make it sound like I don't love her!"

"Actions speak louder than words, Dick."

For the first time in the conversation, he was speechless. He racked his brain for an immediate comeback, but couldn't find one. He didn't know what angered him more: the fact that she had the nerve to tell him that he hadn't been acting as if he loved Kory, or the fact that deep down, he knew that he couldn't disagree. He knew he had been neglecting her – Kory told him so herself. Still, Raven had no room to talk about his relationship. She had no idea what was going on with Kory right now; she had no idea just how guilty he already felt.

"Raven, let me tell you something since you aren't exactly the poster child for emotional availability; keep your opinions to yourself. I should have known that I would be walking into a trap when I agreed to have coffee with you this morning. I don't need anyone to tell me how shitty of a person I've been; I already know! I'm tired of all of you trying to sneak into my life and snoop around. What pisses me off even more is that this**.**.. behavior...isn't even you. The Raven I know doesn't mend broken fences and do you want to know why? YOU SUCK AT IT." Dick walked over to the trashcan and violently threw his half-empty coffee cup into it. "Just leave me alone for a while; tell the others that, too. I don't want anyone else's 'friendly advice' because I'm fine. I am leaving now, do not follow me."

* * *

Dick spent the next thirty minutes walking aimlessly around downtown, trying to calm down from his conversation with Raven. Dick didn't drink often; he usually reserved that kind of debauchery for special occasions. However, the events of the last month and a half were enough to drive him insane – he couldn't think of a better reason to have a beer.

JumpCity's downtown area didn't have too many bars and clubs; it was more of an area for shopping. Aside from the theatres and opera houses, there wasn't much to do downtown after dark. There was one place though – McCauley's Pub.

He saw the neon in the open sign lit up and stepped into the establishment; everything looked the same since the last time he'd visited – he took great comfort in that.

Dick started to frequent McCauley's a few years ago as a failed attempt to spy on Jump City's "nightlife" and had actually found that he enjoyed the company of the older Irish bartender and a few of the bar's patrons. Everyone was friendly and treated him like family; in some ways, the environment reminded Dick of his time with the circus. No one noticed that whenever he came in, he rarely drank anything alcoholic; if they did notice, they didn't care to ask questions about it.

He took in a deep breath, headed straight to the bar and sat on one of the stools.

"Dick, ol' boy! It's been a while since I've seen ye here! How ye been?" asked Ken McCauley in his thick Irish accent. The detective in Dick wondered if it wasn't slightly emphasized.

"To be honest, I have been better…"

"Oh ye, I heard about you and the missus. I'm greatly sorry. But, 'ey… if there's anythin' I've learned from me experiences in life, it's that things happen fer a reason."

"Yeah…wait…what?" Dick became flooded with confusion. "How did you know about that?"

"Well, ya dame was in 'ere last night looking all kinds o' dim an' I gave 'er a couple of drinks for 'er troubles and she mentioned that you and her were no longer. Befer she had mentioned dat I's beginnin' to wonder how you let 'er out of the house by 'erself." Ken said while drying out a pint glass with a rag. "Pretty lass like that has a lot o' admirers I bet."

Kory had come to the bar a few times with Dick and enjoyed it, but he never thought that she would come here alone.

"Last time I saw 'er she was sitting with some lad at the table yonder." Ken said pointing to a table towards the back of the bar. "I should say that he had quite the eyes fer 'er. If it makes ye feel better, she was too sad to be havin' any of it."

Dick began to feel the jealousy boil within him. He ran his fingers through his hair and stood up from his seat. He just needed to go back to the tower and clock in some workout hours. That would make him feel better.

"I need to get going Ken; I just stopped by to say hey. I will try to come by more often, old friend. I miss this place."

"Please do, Dick. We miss ya 'round here."

Dick walked to the door before turning around.

"Hey, Ken, do you happen to know the name of the guy she was with last night?"

"Na, sorry lad I don't; I have only seen 'im in 'er a few times. But if he comes 'round again, I'll make sure he knows to keep away from 'er."

"Oh…" Dick's face dropped. "Thanks anyway." He opened the door.

* * *

The tower was spotless; in fact, Dick swore that at one point, he saw the kitchen floor sparkle. He couldn't remember the last time that the tower was this clean. He continued to walk through the common room and into the bedroom corridor, the entire time in awe about how any of the Titans could have cleaned the tower – this well – so fast. He had yet to pass an area untouched by cleanser. He was glad that none of the Titans saw him come in; he just wanted to change clothes quickly and hit the training room.

He secretly wished that Kory would be on the other side of his bedroom door listening to his iPod and reading a magazine – as she usually did. For some reason, in his mind, that would mean that everything was okay, but realistically that thought couldn't be further from the truth.

He walked into his room and saw Kory laying in his bed and staring at the wall. He decided to put his work out plans on hiatus because he and Kory really needed to talk. He walked towards her side of the bed, avoiding the debris that still littered his bedroom floor.

"Hey Kory," Dick said, pushing her hair out of her face. She stared back at him, appearing almost catatonic. "Are you feeling any better?"

When she heard his voice, she snapped out of whatever trance she was in and threw on a fake smile. "Oh yes Dick, I am feeling much better." She started to sit up when Dick pushed her back down. "Is everything alright with you?"

Dick couldn't help but feel frustrated. He knew that she didn't feel okay; why did she insist on lying about it to him?

"Kory, I know you aren't 'fine'. No one in your situation would be 'fine'."

"But I am! I do feel a bit weak still, but honestly I do not have feelings of depression or despair."

"I just wish you wouldn't lie to me; I wish you would trust me with what you are feeling," he brought the palms of his hands up to cover his face. "I wouldn't be able to handle it if you started hiding things from me, Kory. It would drive me crazy" He removed his hands and looked at her. "I can't take that sort of thing."

She frowned. Her intentions weren't to make him upset, she just didn't want him worrying about her. "It is not my intention to 'drive you crazy'."

"Then don't."

"How can I prove to you that I am okay? Ask me what you want to know," Kory really didn't want to talk about it, but if that is what it would take to make Dick feel better, then she would make that sacrifice.

"I don't have many questions, Kory, that can't wait until later," he didn't want to make her relive the entire experience, but since she opened it up for discussion, he decided that he may as well ask the one that had been bothering him the most. "Who did this to you?"

"...I don't remember..." she looked away from him as she lied; she couldn't bear to look him in the face, "I can't even remember the details of his appearance. I am sorry if this disappoints you."

"No, Kory, not at all; it's okay. I shouldn't have even asked. Maybe you'll remember something later."

"...maybe..."

Dick sighed. "So you are sure that you are feeling okay? If I find out your lying, it's going to break my heart."

"I am fine. I would let you know if I were not. Please do not let your heart break; I am keeping nothing from you." Kory couldn't understand why Dick wouldn't leave her alone about this. This morning she had made it clear that even though she didn't feel well, she was going to be perfectly fine. "Everything will be fine, you will see."

The statement didn't reassure him any, it just made him feel worse. Dick felt his insides twist into knots and he really had to fight the urge to throw up. He only wished that he knew how Kory was feeling about the situation, but because she wouldn't let him in, he couldn't know. At that point, all he could think of to say was, "yeah... we'll see."


	7. Chapter Six

**UPDATED MARCH 2013**

**Disclaimer:**See Prologue

* * *

**.:. Bound To You .:.**

Chapter 6

* * *

On the Titan's rooftop, Kory sat silently and stared at the box sitting in her hands. When she found it, the gift was lying on the ground, next to "her spot." There wasn't a card attached to the box, but she assumed that the gift was from Dick; he was the only one that knew where she came up and sat every night.

She slowly untied the pink bow, savoring the anticipation of what was beneath the shiny yellow paper.

"I wonder what it could be." She asked herself.

Kory ripped the paper off and held the gift up to the light to get a better look; it looked like a book, but when she flipped through the pages there was nothing written in it. She was flipping the book around hoping to discover something that she hadn't noticed before when a card fell out and collided with the ground.

**_Kory,_**

**_If you are reading this, it means that you received my birthday gift._**

Kory cocked her head to the side... it was still an hour until her birthday.

**_This is a journal and you can use this to record your innermost thoughts and you don't have to worry about anyone reading it – the boys know I would bring them serious pain if they ever tried. I know that you still aren't ready to talk to anyone about what happened, but maybe the journal will provide you with an outlet to release all of your emotions, fears and memories. I hate to see you try to hold in everything._**

**_P.S. It is customary to begin each entry with "dear journal" or "dear diary."_**

**_Raven_**

The journal was a very kind gesture and Kory was extremely appreciative. Her emotions had been getting the better of her lately and she really needed to talk about them; however, she was too afraid to talk to Dick. Perhaps this "journal" would prove to be beneficial.

Kory picked up the pen that accompanied the gift.

"No time like the present..."

**_Dear Journal,_**

**_I have never written in one of these before – you are my first. _**

**_It has been a month since "it" happened. I do not really like to go into details about it, but the memories of that night still haunt me. I am hoping that you can help me out._**

**_I really thought that I could get over it in a few days, that it would not be that big of a deal, if I could just forget that it even happened; that isn't the case. I cannot forget, journal. The nightmares, the flashbacks, they will not go away. Now, I fear that my emotions are out of control._**

Kory cringed as she recalled some of the darker thoughts that she had been having. How would she ever be able to explain them to Dick?

**_I promised Dick that I would talk to him about things, but I am afraid that I cannot. I fear that if I told him exactly what I was thinking, he would not want to be with me anymore. I want to kill the person that did this to me, that damaged me! If I were to see him today, I cannot say that I would spare his life. I want him to pay for what he has done; I feel very vengeful. The anger has overpowered my sadness allowing my powers to return; however, I am having a hard time keeping them under control. The last time this happened was when I was kidnapped and taken prisoner by the Psions. That did not end well..._**

Kory flipped the page of her journal and kept writing.

**_Dick and I have yet to talk about what happened that night before the "incident."_**

**_I am still deeply embarrassed about my behavior that night – that, too, is an event that I want to forget. Who knows if we will ever talk about the hurtful words that were unleashed? I want to apologize to him, but I do not know how; I don't even know if there would be a point now._**

**_Dick has tried to be very attentive to me, but I know that he is hurting. Towards the rest of the team, he is not as attentive; he is always far away. I have not seen this side of Dick since the Slade attacks and it breaks my heart that I am the reason for this._**

**_I am just waiting for him to give up on me – I know that it is coming. We no longer have intimacy in our relationship and I feel as though sometimes our communication is forced._**

The intimacy in their relationship had faded in the last month and it had gotten to where they rarely even hugged anymore.

**_I know it is hard for him because of what Earth calls his hormones, but he is really being careful around me. Sometimes, I am grateful; other times I wish he would just kiss me and make all the pain go away. However, he cannot. I see him make efforts to please me and it only makes me feel guiltier._**

**_Oh journal, I just cannot talk to him about what has happened. If he knew what I was thinking and just how angry I was, he would surely disown me._**

Kory fought the urge to cry.

**_I would never be able to handle it if he actually disapproved of me. I love him too much._**

She did love him; she just wished that she weren't currently incapable of showing it. Lately, she had been preoccupied with the notion that Dick would be happier if they broke-up.

**_Journal, sometimes I feel as though a break-up would be the best for him; it would give him a chance to be with someone that is not broken and damaged. However, I am too weak to give him up. I do not know what I would do without him. I know I would not be able to watch him fall in love with anyone else._**

She didn't feel like writing anymore; the thought of Dick leaving her was too much to bear at that point. She ended her entry by closing the journal; she could write more tomorrow. She stuck her hand in her jacket pocket and realized that she brought Dick's iPod with her. **She had forgotten that she'd taken it with her. Thinking that maybe she'd be able to stay on the roof a little longer,** Kory looked at the massive clock face located behind her. **It was officially her birthday.**

"Hey, Kory."

She jumped a bit; she didn't hear him come through the door. She remained seated and moved closer to the tower's edge, hanging her legs off the roof. As she was about to say 'Hello', she stopped herself and decided to answer with something else entirely.

"Do you know how much comfort your voice brings me?" Kory watched as he walked over and sat down beside her.

"Really? I never would've guessed." Dick let out a small smirk as his masked eyes met hers.

"I am glad to see that you made it through the night unharmed. I am sorry that I was not prepared to be of any assistance." Kory dropped her head, avoiding Dick's gaze.

Instead of a gaze, Dick turned his body and reached over to wrap Kory into a much-needed hug. "Listen, you don't have to apologize to anyone for not being ready. The only thing I care about is your well-being and if that means that you need to sit out for a while until you feel better, then so be it... do you understand?" Kory nodded against his chest.

Dick slowly breathed in, taking in all the different aromas of Kory's hair; he always loved the way that her hair smelled.

"It feels like forever since I've held you," Dick said. "I have missed it."

Kory unexpectedly began crying against his chest and it took Dick by surprise; he didn't know how to react. After pausing for a few seconds, he began to smooth out her hair with the palm of his hand in an attempt to soothe her. "Kory, what's wrong? Did I do something?"

"No," she sobbed. "I just love you, that is all."

Dick couldn't help but smile; it had been a while since he had heard Kory say those words with such meaning.

"I love you...so much. I just...want you...to know that..." she forced out the words. Dick heard them clearly, despite sounding mumbled because she was forcing them into his uniformed chest.

"I just...do not want... you to leave me...I am scared that you... are going to...leave me..."

"Kory, oh my God, I'd never leave you...listen to me" Dick leaned back from Kory, queuing her to lift up from his chest. He removed his mask and placed it on the edge of the tower before moving both hands towards her face. "Kory, look at me." He took her face into his hands and used his thumbs to wipe away the tears that had formed on her cheeks. "I'm not going anywhere, do you hear me? I know I have not always been the best at expressing my emotions to you, but you have to know how much I care about you; you are my life." He removed his right hand and used it to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. "I may get upset with you at times, but I could never leave you."

Dick leaned in and pressed his forehead against hers as she sniffled.

"I love you too, Kory."

Before Kory could respond with anything else, Dick turned his body to its original position swinging his legs over the side of the building. He held out his arm welcoming Kory to fall into his embrace and she instantly obliged. She had missed cuddling with him and tonight, for the first time in a while, she was at ease. She let out a sigh of relief when she felt him kiss the top of her head.

"Dick, remind me to thank Raven tomorrow, she has provided me with a great service."

Dick slightly stiffened at the mention of Raven's name and carefully corrected himself in hope that Kory didn't notice his reaction. Their argument remained a sore spot on their relationship, but he didn't want to worry Kory about it. There was not a point in adding any more stress and knowing her, she would blame herself.

"You got it, Kor... oh and by the way..."

"Yes, Dick?

"Happy Birthday."


	8. Chapter Seven

**UPDATED MARCH 2013**

**Disclaimer:**See Prologue.

* * *

**.:. Bound To You.:.**

Chapter 7

* * *

**_Dear Journal,_**

**_Earthlings have an expression that they use when things take a turn for the worse; I believe the expression falls along the lines of, "things have hit the fan." I should have known better than to rush myself and now, I know now that it is impossible for things to return to the way they were before. EVERYTHING has hit the fan._**

Kory wiped a stray tear from her cheek with the palm of her hand.

**_It all started on my birthday._**

* * *

_"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Kory, happy birthday to you!"_

_"And maaannnny moooooorrrrre!" Gar added to the end of the song._

_Kory looked around the room allowing her eyes to adjust to the sudden change of light; amongst all the balloons, banners and streamers stood all of her friends, Titans East and all of her friends in the Titan Network, in full uniform. She had no idea that the Titans had been planning a party. Had she forgotten? Was something happening to her memory?_

_The boy wonder standing at her side picked up her look of confusion. He pulled her closer using the arm that had been snaked around her waist and whispered into her ear. "Something wrong, Kor?" _

_She turned her body, cupped her hands around her mouth and stood on her toes to whisper her response into his ear. "I am afraid that I forgot about the planning of this party."_

_"Oh, no Kory, this is a surprise party. You weren't supposed to know about it," he said a little louder. "It was a secret."_

_"May I ask why everyone is in costume?"_

_Dick cleared his throat and whispered into her ear. "I decided to make it a costume party; I thought it'd be clever. I hope it's not too cheesy."_

_"Oh! Okay!" Kory said, pleasantly…well…surprised. She had never had a surprise party before. Actually, when she thought about it, she couldn't remember even having a normal party before._

**_On Tamaran, we didn't celebrate birthdays with parties, cakes, presents and songs of happy birthdays; turning a year older meant nothing unless you were turning twelve or seventeen. Twelve is the age that all Tamaraneans go to warrior training camps; seventeen is the age that a Tamaranean must decide his or her contribution to society. For a woman, these choices are limited; as a member of the royal court, I obviously had more options – despite the wishes of my father. _**

**_My seventeenth birthday happened to my first one on Earth. I was very confused at first because my friends showered me with gifts and a cake; however, Dick made sure that he explained everything to me and answered all of my questions. _**

**_Insisting that I stay true to my Tamaranean roots, that day I chose my path in life: I vowed to stay on Earth and live my life as a fighter of crime. As far as earthly traditions go, I must admit that the celebrating of birthdays is one of my favorites. It still slightly bothers me that I was not able to enjoy my party as much as I should have._**

_Kory glanced around the room a second time and met the gaze of all her friends; it seemed as if everyone were waiting for a positive reaction. She wondered if any of them knew what happened to her. She knew that Victor, Raven and Dick knew; she assumed that Gar had figured out something by now, but what about everyone else? Was everyone here out of pity? She plastered on a replica of her famous grin determined to give her friends what they wanted to see - a happy go lucky Starfire._

_"Thank you so much friends! You have really outdone yourselves! I had no idea." She removed herself from Dick's hold and started to make her way around the room, dealing out hugs and pleasantries._

_"Don't mention it Kory, you only turn 23 once," Karen Beecher, dressed in her Bumblebee costume, said with a smile. "Plus, we'd never pass up the chance to party."_

"_Titans can't be all work and no play," Speedy added teasingly as Kory walked up to him offering him a hug. "You know Kory, on Earth if someone requests a kiss on your birthday, you have to kiss them."_

"_Roy, the wool is not so easy to pull over my eyes anymore," she laughed softly. "I think it is time to start getting more creative with your efforts; besides, even if it were true, I believe that I would dare to break tradition in this case."_

_The speedster standing beside him snorted loudly at the reaction that appeared on his friend's face. "Oh man, you should see the look on your face. REJECTED!" Kory watched as Wally West, formally known as Kid Flash, replayed the conversation. "Starfire, it may be your birthday, but you just gave me the best present ever."_

"_Well, I am pleased to have provided you with a great memory, Wally." Kory gave him a light hug. "Thank you for coming."_

_Kory was grateful when she finally made it over to Raven. Knowing that Raven would be able to see right through her façade, Kory opted for honesty and allowed her mouth to relax. "I wish to thank you for your kind gift. I wrote in it last night and it did help." She had been waiting all day to thank her for the gift._

_"You're welcome," Raven said softly, "by the way, don't worry, noone knows."_

_"That is good to know...not that I would not have appreciated it either way, but you know," she stopped herself when she saw Raven nod in affirmation; she knew she didn't have to explain any further. "Thank you for the planning of this party for me. I do appreciate it even though I do not wear the most positive expression."_

_"All the thanks should go to him," Raven nodded her head in Dick's direction. "He's the one that put everything together."_

**_Seeing the amount of effort that Dick put into the evening pleased me great amounts and even though I couldn't genuinely smile, I could at least say that I was genuinely happy for the first time in a while._**

"_Hey, I was in charge of the decorations!" Gar said as he morphed into a giraffe to prove how he reached the rafters in order to hang the decorations._

"_Oh, __Garfield__! Thank you very much for all the gorgeous decorations!" Kory exclaimed putting back on the fake grin. "They are definitely eye-catching."_

_Gar responded with a prideful smile._

"_If by eye-catching you mean ugly, than you're definitely right."_

"_Hey dude! Kory said she liked them, so there!" Gar stuck out his tongue for emphasis._

"_Dick, do not make fun of Beast Boy's decorations… they are very nice."_

_Dick laughed and wrapped his arms around Kory's waist. "Okay, okay, but only for you." Dick gave Kory a quick kiss on the cheek before turning his head to look at his green friend. "Your decorations are beautiful, __Garfield__."_

"_Dude, I don't have to stand here and take your sarcasm. Tell him Vic!"_

"_Dick, Gar does not have to stand here and take your sarcasm," he said rolling his eyes, "about his ugly ass decorations."_

_Dick laughed loudly._

_Gar pointed his finger at Dick and then Victor. "Both if you suck. Kory likes them and that is all that matters. I'm off to mingle with people that are worth my time."_

_Kory giggled as Gar walk off. "Boys, you must not tease him so much; you know he is sensitive about things."_

"_Yeah, Kory, I guess you're right; I better go apologize seeing as he is my band mate and all." Victor announced. "You," he said pointing at Kory, "Don't go anywhere. You still owe me a hug and you better believe that I plan on collecting it."_

_Victor walked off leaving Dick and Kory to themselves. "Now I'm kicking myself for planning this party in the first place." Dick leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. "I just want to whisk you away and keep you all to myself."_

_Kory attempted to smile before Dick stopped her. "You do not have to do that - not around me, at least. It's okay."_

"_I do appreciate everything; I do not want you to think that I do not. I am having a great time. Thank you for bringing to me, all of my friends."_

"_Anything for you, Kory," he said softly. 'Now let's get you back to your party."_

**_My party was a great success; we spent the rest of the evening playing games, eating baked goods and my friends even retold some of their favorite memories about me. I went to bed last night free of anger and feeling loved. I woke up this morning bursting with an amount of energy that I had been vacant from my body for a month. I felt like training with the Titans - it was time to get back to work._**

**_The workout was great and I felt relieved that I was able to endure the entire session without any emotional interruptions; Dick even complimented my fighting skills._**

_"Wow Kor, that was amazing. I don't know how, but you may have gotten better in these last three weeks? Have you done any training on your own?" Dick asked while using towel to mop up the sweat on his face._

_"Well, I have done a little during the last week, but nothing this intense."_

**_I did not feel like going into details at that moment, but I had done a bit of training on my own in order to attempt to get my anger issues under control._**

_"Well keep up the good work," he said with a smile. "I'm glad you have your powers back."_

**_I knew what he was thinking at that moment before he even said anything. I knew he assumed that I was able to channel my emotions into my powers and that was why they were stronger; I could see that he, like myself, was beginning to think that the worst was over and that things were on their way to going back to normal. Well, I wish to rephrase. Things were on their way to getting better. I do not think things will ever go back to "normal"; I do not even remember what "normal" is. I do not think things have been "normal" for a while... if they ever were._**

_"I am very proud of you Kory; I want you to know that."_

**_I thought to myself, "I must be handling things very well if Dick is proud of me." Obviously, to me, Dick's words carry a lot of weight._**

_Kory followed her teammates into the main room and watched as the new police commissioner briefed the team on a new mission; this mission involved a criminal by the name of Stassney Black. Stassney was a telepath they had encountered a few times over the years, but who had never posed a great threat; he was mediocre at best. He specialized in con-artistry and the last time they encountered him, it had been because he had kidnapped "Kory" in hopes of being able to receive a large sum from Dick Grayson. However, according to the commissioner, Stassney had gone out and gotten himself a new group of friends and a new MO._

"_Titans, the last commissioner seemed to be on good terms with you – which is why I am giving you a chance – but I don't normally trust vigilantes and I won't hesitate to take you all down if necessary. Let's hope that you prove that my trust in you isn't being misplaced," Commissioner O'Connor said before ending the conversation and causing the screen to turn black. Dick turned to address the team._

_"We should follow Stassney a bit, just to see what he's up to."_

_"Or... we could just take him down and get it over with?" Victor suggested._

_"No," Dick began, his creative mind reeling. "First, Jinx shows up more skilled and powerful, then, Gizmo was able to escape by overriding the prison's security systems - systems set up by you, Victor - and now Stassney Black is actually a threat?"_

_"How can we even be sure that all of this is connected? Surely you don't think that..." Gar raised his eyebrow._

_"No. I already checked; he's still detained." Dick said no more on the subject and no one pressed it. "I don't know for sure that any one crime is connected to the next, but I just have a hunch that someone is messing with us; I just don't know who."_

_Kory nodded to show support. "That could be a possibility; after all, Stassney has never been much of a problem before. Perhaps if we approach him in a kind manner, we can get some information out of him."_

_"I think you're on the right track Kory, but I have a feeling that we wouldn't get the response that we wanted if we approached him nicely," Victor said. "I think we are going to have to use a little force. I mean, come-on! If Dick is right and everything is connected, then whoever is behind this either has something that these villains want or he/she is controlling them somehow. Either way, Black isn't going to just hand over the information easily."_

_"Victor's right," Raven spoke up. "We are going to need a definite game plan."_

_"And a back-up in case his friends decide to show up."_

_"Dick, before you start with the plan preparations, I wish to be included in this mission." Four pairs of eyes met her immediately. ''I believe that I could be of some use."_

_"Kory, are you sure?" Raven asked skeptically._

_"Yes, I am very sure. Stassney has always responded well to me; I think he likes me-or used to at least."_

_"True, but -" Raven began before Kory cut her off abruptly. "I am ready."_

_The other Titans remained silent and Kory felt urged to say more. "Is there anyone else that doubts me?" Kory looked over at Dick who, at the present time, was analyzing her with his gaze._

_"I don't doubt you Kory; I just don't think you know what you want right now. I don't want to see you get hurt - physically or emotionally."_

_"Raven, if Kory says she's ready, then she's ready," Dick said reluctantly as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Besides, she's right and as much as I hate to admit it, Stassney has had a soft spot for her in the past. We don't know what's going on; any advantage we can gain would be good. But I swear to God if he tries anything with you again –"_

_Raven cut him off and sighed not wanting to argue. "Kory, I hope you know what you're getting yourself into."_

_"I am fully capable of handling the situation Raven, but thanks for your concern."_

**_Raven's behavior caught me a little off guard. I had no idea why she was so adamant that I not go along, but I should have just listened instead of being stubborn._**

_"Let's go. We've already wasted too much time; we'll plan our strategy via Titan communicators on the way to town. Meet at the park."_

**_That is when we split up and traveled to the park by our own separate means. During my short flight to the park, I could not help but feel the excitement of being back in action - fighting crime. My adrenaline was pumping; I felt alive again - until I arrived at the park. It honestly did not even register in my mind that it would trigger anything until I arrived there. I was first to get there and being alone in the location of my attack made me feel uneasy and slightly frightened._**

_Kory let out a scream as the palm of someone's hand grasped her shoulder._

_"Starfire, calm down, it's just me - Robin." Kory noticed his concerned look when she turned around to meet his face._

_"Oh, Robin you scared me; you very much took me by surprise."_

_"Did you not hear my motorcycle drive up?"_

_Kory frowned. How did she miss the sound of his motorcycle pulling up? "I must have missed it. I apologize." She looked around the park to see if she saw signs of the other Titans._

_He noticed her looking around and said, "They will be here any minute; my bike is faster than the car" before placing both of his hands on Kory's shoulders. "When I picked the park as a meeting place, it totally slipped my mind that..." Kory looked into his masked eyes._

_"It is fine Robin; I know you meant no harm to me."_

_"Are you okay? You can be honest - you don't have to do this Starfire."_

_"Do you have doubt in me as well?" she asked, hurt._

_"No!" Dick's eyes grew wide and he shook his head quickly. "No, of course not. It's just... I'm not that comfortable putting you up as bait. He took you before, what would stop him from doing it now; we have no idea what this guy is capable of anymore."_

_Kory let out a sigh of relief. It was good to know that she didn't have to explain herself to him and she very much appreciated the amount of trust that he showed in her._

_"I would not be bait. I just simply would like to try to converse with him; that is all."_

_"Still, I don't have to like it."_

_Dick and Kory's conversation ended at the arrival of the three other Titans._

_"Okay, dudes! I am ready to kick some telepath ass! Booyah!"_

_"Cyborg, don't you think that you are a little too old to be saying, 'booyah'?"_

_"Raven, no one is ever too old to say, 'booyah'."_

_"Guys, there isn't any time for goofing around - let's split up and remember what we planned!" Dick ordered._

_"That ain't gonna be necessary," said a dark figure as they stepped out of the shadows. As if it were a cue, all of the Titans stood with their backs to each other and assumed a fighting stance._

_"Stassney..." Dick growled. "What do you think you're doing?"_

_"Would you accept 'taking a stroll through the park'?" Stassney wittingly responded._

_"We aren't here for games, dude." Gar snapped back._

_"And here I wasted all these years thinkin' that we didn't have nothing in common. I ain't here for no fun n' games either. I'm strictly business these days; though now that I think about it, I bet tonight's gonna end up being the former... at least for me."_

_"And I have a feeling that you will have a lot of time to joke around once you're back in prison!"_

_"Oh, but you underestimate me, boy blunder! I have a few new tricks up my sleeve and I done went out and made me some new friends. Well, me oh my, how rude am I? Would you like to meet them?" Stassney let out a strange call and suddenly the ground began to shake. "That must be them now."_

_Kory watched as three new figures appeared out of the darkness._

_"Y'all must think I am so disrespectful; I should have made introductions earlier. Not-so-Teen Titans, these are my new pals: Pyra," he said, pointing to a bright orange-haired, scantily-clad female who kept snapping her fingers to create a lighter-sized flame only to blow it out with her breath._

_"Gust," he directed the Titan's attention to the blue-skinned individual standing beside Pyra._

_"Last - and definitely least, Rock, because he's as dumb as one." Stassney laughed. "He likes to throw them too. Now Titans, I know you are probably thinking to yourselves, 'Why would good ol' Stassney get mixed up with such suspicious lookin' folks such as these?' Well let's just say that it's my southern hospitality."_

_"Stassney..."_

_"Now I am going to have to cut you off there, Robin," Stassney said, sarcastically looking at his arm as if he were checking a watch for the time. "Places to go, people to see; you know the drill. Pyra! Do your things honey! See ya 'round, Titans! Ta-Ta"_

_Stassney ran off into the distance and Pyra blocked the path behind him with a line of fire._

_"Starfire!" Dick ordered, "You can fly above the flames; chase down Stassney and detain him. We'll take care of these guys and meet up with you. Try to get any information out of him that you can."_

**_I did not even hesitate; the moment that Dick finished giving his orders, I was off in pursuit of the fleeing Stassney Black. It did not take long to find him - he definitely was not a fast runner._**

_"Well ain't it the pretty Miss Starfire? Come to find out what I am up to?"_

_"Stassney, you know you cannot get away with this," she landed on the ground in front of him. "You will be taken back into custody for the crimes you have committed."_

_"And who is going to do it, you?" Stassney looked at her and cocked his head to the side. "I don't think you will be doing anything to me little lady. Not today."_

_Kory created a star bolt in her hand and held it out in front of her. "I am not afraid to do whatever is necessary to keep you from harming anyone else."_

"_Oh, sweet, naïve and always clueless, Starfire. You have no idea what I am capable of." As soon as the words left his mouth, Kory felt everything get a little hazy and closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, she was standing in the middle of the park again except, the Titans weren't there._

**_I was very confused in that moment, for I did not know what was going on. One minute, I was in front of the Jump City clock tower and the next, I was standing in the middle of a dark and empty Jump City Park._**

"_Stassney?" Kory called out, a bit frightened. "Stassney are you there?"_

"_How you like my new trick? Just learned it recently." Stassney whispered into her ear from behind her._

_Kory quickly whipped around to face him and recreated a star bolt in the palm of her hand._

"_Why ya so scared of this place?" Stassney smiled at the look of confusion that kept showing up on her face. "I could hear your thoughts in the park, Starfire; that's how I know."_

**_I had forgotten that Stassney could read my mind; he could hear everything that I was thinking. When he asked the question, I allowed my mind to bring up the incident, the incident that had me terrified of the park. The moment I realized my error, I knew that he knew my secret. It was a grave error on my part, for I appeared vulnerable. I would not be vulnerable. For the remainder of the conversation, I practiced the "random thoughts" technique that Dick taught me to use in occasions such as those. I had hoped that it would throw him off._**

"_How are you doing this?"_

"_Oh Starfire, you've been through quite an ordeal haven't you? I knew something was different about your demeanor, but I couldn't put my finger on it; now I know," Stassney said, dropping his southern accent. Kory couldn't help but wonder when he had been able to do away with it; maybe it had been false the entire time._

"_Who are you? Why are you doing this?" she asked demandingly. "Who has done this to you?"_

"_You act as though it's a bad thing," he answered. "This - my new power - is magnificent._

"_Nothing is magnificent if you are using it to hurt people! You could have used your power for good; you could have helped people."_

"_Oh Starfire, one day you Titans are going to learn that the more people you save, the more people you will have that rely on you."_

"_And relying on someone is a bad thing?"_

"_OF COURSE IT'S A BAD THING!" he yelled before lowering his voice. "You can't help people that aren't willing to help themselves. Surely you aren't as stupid as you let on."_

_Kory frowned at the hurtful comment. Of course, she wasn't stupid, right? "What about you?"_

"_What about me? I'm helping myself; it's survival of the fittest out there. No more small business safe codes; no more conning rich women into writing me a check because I know the right things to say; those days are over. I am now on to bigger and better things."_

_"Bigger and better things like what, murder?" Kory began to feel the rage build up inside of her. "Stassney, I know you are not this person; you are not a murderer."_

_His face softened and Kory could see it in his eyes that he had never meant to kill anyone; that it had been a mistake. However, like Kory, Stassney did not wish to be vulnerable either. "You know, I never thought I was either, but you know what they say, 'you never forget your first kill'."_

_She couldn't stop the look of disgust that splashed across her face after he made that statement. "I do not believe you! Deep down, you are a good person – I refuse to believe otherwise. Remember when you kidnapped me and held me for ransom? You told me that you didn't know how your obsession with crime became so carried away and that you honestly wanted help. I can help you!"_

"_She begged, you know," Stassney said, not changing the subject from his previous comment. It was as if he wanted to ignore Kory's comment. "She kept screaming and crying, 'I'll do anything! I'll do anything!' if I would only spare her life," he said trying his best to sound nonchalant. "Normally, I wouldn't care, but there was something about her; something about the way she was pleading with me that was different. It was as if, even though she was begging for her life, she actually meant that she wanted me to end it. She was so helpless – she was practically asking for something to happen to her; much like you."_

**_I could not believe that he was telling me all of this; it was so dark - so personal and at the same time, it was revolting to me. When he finished his statement and actually mentioned my name, I was shocked. Did he really believe that I deserved all the pain? Did he honestly believe that I "had been begging for it?" That was the moment that all of the anger that I had been struggling to suppress broke through my wall and flooded to the surface._**

"_Are you saying that I deserved what happened to me?"_

"_Everyone deserves what happens to them some way or another."_

"_Why are you telling me all of this, Stassney; to torture me?" Kory couldn't mask the hurt and fury in her voice anymore._

"_Oh no, Kory," he said, using her personal name for the first time. "If I wanted to torture you, I would just do this."_

_A light rain began to fall upon them as they stood in the park. "What is happening?" Kory asked before she saw the display that Stassney intended to torture her with. "Stop it, Stassney."_

_He didn't; he continued to let the events play out._

"_I think it would be best if we parted, now; it is getting late. Just take me back to my bicycle and I will go home," a hologram Kory announced while pushing away her assailant._

"_I have missed you," the male said, continuing to kiss her neck despite her efforts to push him away._

"_Remove yourself immediately! This will not happen!" she gave him a hard shove that effectively knocked him down on the ground and started running; however she didn't get very far._

"_That wasn't very nice of you," he said grabbing her from behind in a chokehold. "I don't see what the problem is."_

**_I watched the scene in horror, trying to keep my composure; however, that didn't last long._**

_Kory stomped on the man's foot and then threw her elbow back to punch him in the gut causing him to grab his stomach and release his hold on her._

"_You should know by now that I can take anything that you can throw at me, Princess," he recovered quickly, grabbed her arm and swung her around to face him. "You don't even have your strength right now, you are running on fumes."_

"_I will not let you touch me like this!"_

"_Kory, you know I care greatly for you…"_

"_I have a boyfriend!" she said interrupting him mid-sentence. "I do not care about your feelings for me! You are drunk!_

"_But you don't have a boyfriend. You two broke up, remember?" The guy wrapped his hands around her throat. "We belong together...can't you see that? We are soul mates."_

_"No, we do not! My soul mate would not harm me like this!" she forced the words out causing him to release his hold on her neck._

"_I never wanted to hurt you, I apologize."_

_"Well you did!"_

_He grabbed the back of her head and forcibly pressed his lips onto hers. She desperately tried to push him away by pressing her hands on his chest, but his hold on her was too strong._

_"Stop struggling or we are going to have to do this the hard way."_

_"The hard way?"_

**_I watched as the rock made contact with the back of my head._**

**_I couldn't take it anymore… I exploded._**

"_YOU WILL STOP THIS!" Kory yelled to Stassney, catching him off guard. The rain and the hologram suddenly disappeared._

"_You will NEVER hurt anyone else, EVER AGAIN!" She let out a guttural scream before firing into him with her eye beams. The park scene disappeared instantly and she was back by the clock tower, watching Stassney's body fly into the building's brick base. Not satisfied, she began to fire star bolts at him, not even taking the time to aim. Despite the constant pleas of Stassney, Kory continued._

"_You will pay."_

**_That is the last thing that I remember before my blackout. I have no idea how long I was gone. I just remember the Titans finding me._**

_"STARFIRE!"_

**_Tamaraneans are bred as warriors; even though I was – am - a princess, I was no exception. I know how powerful and dangerous I can be, I just never let it go that far - Earthlings wouldn't be able to handle the full extent of my powers; even the most powerful ones. When I took a look at Stassney's body the moment Dick pulled me off, I had to choke back the tears. I had definitely gone too far._**

"_What the fuck happened here?" Dick's cracked voice demanded while he pulled Kory off Stassney's beaten body._

_Kory shook her head quickly and came out of her trance._ _Dick__ grabbed her shoulders and began to shake her violently. "Starfire! ANSWER ME!"_

_The tears began to flow from her eyes. "I...I...I..."_

_Raven ran up and immediately checked his pulse. "He's alive, but barely. He needs immediate medical treatment."_

_"I'm on it!" Cyborg said, pounding numbers into the keypad built into his metallic arm._

_"ANSWER ME!"_

_"I... I do not know..." Kory continued to cry. "I have no idea what I have done."_

_Dick's ears registered the sirens blaring in the distance and immediately pulled her into the alleyway beside the clock tower._

**_I looked at Dick, desperate for immediate reassurance that things were going to be okay and he could not even look me in the eye._**

_Dick slowly took in a deep breath as he looked at the hand of the woman he was dragging into the alley. He noticed rather large amount of fresh blood gracing her knuckles and her purple armbands. "Kory, this is a huge mess." He said in a low voice, wiping some of the blood off her knuckles with his thumb._

_Kory cried out, "Robin I do not know what happened, I swear! One minute I –"_

"_We can talk about this later..." Dick said looking over his shoulder at the cops and paramedics who were pulling up to the scene. "Just don't move from this spot, OK?" Dick ordered. "I'll take care of everything. Just stay here until they leave." He dropped her hand and walked away, still not looking her in the eyes._

**_Words cannot describe the amount of guilt that I felt, and still feel; I should have known better than to go on that mission, I should have known that Stassney would have probably used my own weakness against me._**

_When the cops finally left, Kory emerged from the dark alley and joined the Titans who were huddled together, having a discussion._

**_"_**_We need to get back to the tower, now. Beast Boy is hurt and we need to get him to Kirk," Raven announced._

"_Understood. You two," Dick said addressing Raven and Cyborg "head on to the tower. I will meet you there."_

_Dick turned to go retrieve Kory when he saw her standing before him with eyes still brimming with tears._

"_Starfire, are you able to fly?"_

**_I nodded not knowing if I was going to be able to fly or not, but not wanting to be a burden._** **_He didn't even bother to respond; he just turned and left._**

**_Journal, I am frightened and I do not know what will happen, to me or to Stassney._**

Kory closed the journal, set it to the side and closed her eyes. She really hoped that things would be okay. What if Stassney died? Would she be sent to jail? Would she be banished from Earth and forced back to Tamaran?

**_I suppose that Tamaran would be a much more positive alternative to prison, but that would mean that I would never get to see Dick again._**

Where was Dick anyway? She had made it back to the tower before everyone else and it had been an hour-and-a-half since she heard Dick's motorcycle pull up to the tower.

Waiting for him to come and talk to her was proving to be torturous; she had been in his – well, their – room since she had gotten home and she hoped that he would walk through the door, but that had yet to happen. **_Surely, he will come in here eventually. What if he does not wish to speak with me?_**

The thought saddened her, but instead of crying, she just leaned back and allowed her body to fall on their mattress; she was exhausted in all ways possible.

**_I just want this nightmare to be over._**

* * *

Dick sat slouched over in the medical bay rubbing his temples, propped up on his knees. He was tired and didn't want to hear any more of the conversation that was taking place. They had arrived back at the tower and immediately taken Garfield to the medical bay to mend his broken rib. The moment that they found out that Gar's injuries weren't anything serious, Raven and Victor launched into a discussion about Kory. Dick knew that this was an important issue and that needed addressing, but did it have to be tonight?

"This conversation is giving me a headache; do we really have to talk about this now?"

"This is serious, Dick."

"Yes, Raven, I'm aware that this is serious; trust me," Dick said sharply. "It has just been an emotional night and I don't feel like talking about it now."

"Tough; it needs to be addressed. Like I said earlier, at this point, there's only one option."

"Raven, how can you even suggest that?!"

"As much as I hate to say it Dick, Raven's right..." Victor added. "We love Kory, you know we do, but tonight proved that this situation is way out of our hands. We can't help her anymore."

Dick sighed; he couldn't believe that this was happening. "She has been through so much; you have to cut her some slack! At least give her the chance to explain herself!" he said, standing up from his seat. "We don't know what happened back there; he could have said or done something that warranted -"

"Cut her some slack? We are Titans, Dick and as much as it pains me to say it, she's a risk. I've known for a while that she had some anger issues and I didn't say anything because anger is a stage in the healing process, but I tried to warn her tonight and she didn't listen."

"Why didn't you pull me aside and say something. That would have been a good piece of information to know, don't you think?"

"To be completely honest, I thought you already knew." Dick frowned. He **should** have already known, but apparently, for some reason Kory felt as though she couldn't be honest with him.

"I would've looked into your head to see but," Dick shot a glare in Raven's direction and she decided to drop that subject. "That doesn't matter, if Stassney dies, she will have killed someone tonight. What will we do?"

"Don't worry about it, Raven; I took care of it." Dick responded.

"Took care of it how?" Victor asked with a concerned tone in his voice.

"Let's just say that I lied."

"Great, so you lied to the police." Raven said sarcastically. "That's always good."

"Well, it wasn't my finest moment! But they would've arrested her had I told them the truth!" Dick paced the room. "What would you have me do?" he asked desperately.

"You are right; I am sorry." Raven realized that if she had been in that position, she would have lied to the police also. "I would've done the same thing, but the point is, Dick, that you shouldn't have had to lie to the police in the first place. Right now, we're under a microscope with this new commissioner and frankly, I don't want to have to relocate. "

Dick ran his fingers through his hair.

"She botched our mission, dude..." Garfield said while sitting up in the medical bay's hospital bed. "He was our best shot at figuring out what's been going on."

"Well I guess there isn't any point in talking anymore," Dick said while walking towards the door, "seems you've all made your decision."

"Hey man, don't take it like that. Kory's our girl, we only want what's best for her in the long-run," Victor said, placing his robotic hand on Dick's shoulder. "I know it sounds like we're pissed, but we aren't mad about it; we just really want her to get better and it's something that we can't control – **you** can't control."

"...I know..."

Dick shrugged off his hand and opened the door.

"Where are you going?" Garfield asked.

He heaved a defeated sigh and said, "Who knows" before walking out the door and leaving the other Titans with sad looks on their faces.

* * *

Kory's eyes opened when she heard his bedroom door open. She immediately sat up and attempted to flatten her hair and make herself more presentable as if it would make a difference. She watched as Dick gave her a silent and slight acknowledging nod before walking over to the edge of the bed and plopping down.

"I am so sorry."

Dick remained silent as he removed his boots and tossed them to a random spot on the bedroom floor.

"You know me; I am not consciously capable of anything like that."

He took off his utility belt, laid it on the nightstand and then turned off the lamp.

"You have to know..."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before laying down in the bed and turning his back to Kory.

"Dick, please say something."

"...I don't know what to say..."

Kory stared at the back of his head. "Will you at least look at me?"

"I don't know if I can Kory; not right now. I'm just so disappointed with the whole situation."

"You hate me," Kory said, beginning to cry. "I do not blame you, I hate myself."

"...Please don't cry..."

"You did not even deny it!"

"Kory, you know I don't hate you. Just stop crying, please," Dick said before rubbing his eyes and the bridge of his nose with his right hand.

"I...what...have...I...done?"

Kory crying was almost more than Dick could handle at that moment. He had done a good job at holding himself together thus far and he wasn't going to surrender now. Through ragged breaths, Dick counted to ten in his head while his girlfriend sobbed beside him in the bed. He wanted to know what happened that night to make her attack Stassney as she did, but he was afraid to ask. She had been hiding her emotions from him the whole time; that is what hurt him the most.

"I don't feel like talking tonight, Kory, I'm sorry," Dick finally rolled over and addressed her face-to-face. "I have a headache that keeps getting worse with every minute that goes by. There's an important conversation that we need to have, but I don't want to have it right now." He watched as Kory nodded slowly and released more tears as she hung her head. "I don't hate you; I'm just disappointed with the situation. Just…stop crying." He rolled over again, returning to his original position. "We'll talk tomorrow. Try to get some sleep." The bed shifted as Kory settled back down and he was thankful to hear that her crying had died down a little as well.

He closed his eyes and tried to relax; his body craved sleep and even though he had a headache, his mind was willing to oblige.

Kory watched as his body relaxed and drifted off to sleep.

**_At least someone is getting some sleep tonight._**


	9. Chapter Eight

**UPDATED MARCH 2013**

**Disclaimer:**See Prologue.

* * *

**.:. Bound To You.:.**

Chapter 8

* * *

_*****__You're the best, around. Nothing is gonna ever keep you down. You're the best around. Nothing is gonna ever keep you down.*****_

Dick groaned, rolled over onto his stomach and attempted to wrap his pillows around his ears to block out the annoying sound. He'd changed his ring-tone to that song months ago because he thought it was funny. He had actually been meaning to change it for weeks, but he never found the time to do it; never did he regret it more than at that moment.

**_*_**_You're the best, around. Nothing is gonna ever keep you down. You're the best around. Nothing is gonna ever keep you down_**_.*_**

**_You may as well get up, Dick; you know that he'll just keep calling._**

"Dick, your cellular device keeps singing," Kory said, carefully nudging him with the palm of her hand.

"I know. I was hoping to ignore it," he said into the mattress. "I just want to go back to sleep."

**_*_**_You're the best, around. Nothing is gonna ever keep you down. You're the best around. Nothing is gonna ever keep you down_**_*_**

"But apparently he wants to make it impossible for me to do so."

Dick rolled back onto his side, sat up and threw the covers off his body angrily. "I hate it when he does this…like he is the most important person in the world," he said while stomping towards his dresser and the device responsible for waking him up.

"Yes?"

"Secure the line," said the voice on the other end.

Dick sighed and rolled his eyes, "Line secure."

"Don't roll your eyes," the voice growled. "It's rude."

"Sorry, Bruce, you just caught me at a bad time." Dick used his thumb and middle finger to rub the corners of his eyes.

Bruce remained quiet on the other end of the line creating an awkward silence.

Dick cleared his throat. "I was sleeping."

"I'm sending the jet to come and pick you up –"

"Wait, did I miss something?" Dick interrupted. "Did I make plans to come to Gotham that I forgot about?"

Bruce completely disregarded his questions. "It should be there in two hours."

Dick looked over his shoulder and watched Kory shift around on the bed. She was trying not to be obvious, but he could tell that she was extremely curious about his phone conversation. He turned around and leaned his back on his dresser so that he could watch her more closely.

"Now really isn't a good time."

Dick launched himself off the dresser and thought about continuing the conversation inside of his bathroom – out of Kory's earshot; he didn't want her to hear him lose his temper. However, he decided that there wasn't a point. He would have to explain it to her anyway; she may as well hear the conversation.

"I don't remember asking."

He clinched his free hand into a fist and pounded the air while groaning out of frustration "You can't do this kind of shit to me; I'm not sixteen years old anymore, Bruce. I have stuff going on here." He looked at Kory, who now had a concerned look on her face.

"Big case?" Dick thought about Bruce's question. There was indeed a case, but with Stassney Black comatose in a hospital bed, they had no leads and he sure as hell wasn't going to go into those details right now.

"No, nothing like that."

"I'll see you in a few hours."

"No, wait…" Dick tried to stop Bruce before he hung up, but it was too late. He screamed aloud and threw the cell phone on the floor.

Kory jumped in surprise; she wasn't expecting him to have such a strong irritation to the phone call.

"Sorry…" he said after his peripheral vision caught her reaction."I just really hate how he won't take no for an answer."

"It is alright."

Dick walked over to his closet, pulled a small duffel bag down from the top shelf and threw it onto the bed.

"You have to go to Gotham?"

Kory watched Dick trudge around the room and pick up random items before stuffing them in his bag. "Do you still not wish to speak to me?"

Dick froze and turned toward her. "Sorry Kory, that isn't it at all; I'm just a little frustrated with Bruce right now."

Kory just nodded and watched in silence as he dressed and continued to pack random things.

"I hate to be a bother, but are we ever going to talk about what happened last night?" Kory stared at her nails and picked at them nervously. When she looked up, Dick was standing above her urging her to stand up. When she obliged, he grabbed her shoulders and brought her into a hug.

"We will. When I get back from Gotham, okay?" It felt so good to hug her; he never wanted to let go. "I only have about thirty minutes before I have to leave and I just want to hold you."

She nodded against his chest; she too was enjoying the hug.

"How long will you be gone?"

"I don't know; probably only a day," he whispered into her ear, "maybe two." He began to run his fingers through her hair.

As much as he didn't want to go to Gotham, Dick couldn't help but feel slightly relieved. It bought him more time. Just thinking about what happened the night before made him slightly nauseous; he didn't want to imagine how sick talking about it would make him feel. A few days in Gotham may not be so bad; it would give him time to organize his thoughts and feelings.

"Kory, I need you to make me a promise while I'm gone," Dick said, pulling away from her and looking her straight in the eyes. "No fighting. If something big comes up while I'm out of town, just call me and I'll come back." Kory nodded. "Or contact Wally."

Dick paused for a second and then continued, "Don't contact Roy though; I don't trust him around you when I'm not here." He had hoped that Kory would at least get a laugh out of the statement even though it was mostly true.

Kory ignored Dick's slight attempt at humor and broke eye contact. "I am untrustworthy now."

Dick didn't know how to respond. He didn't want to lie to Kory and tell her that nothing was wrong, but he didn't want to make her upset either.

"It is okay Dick, I brought it upon myself; I should have listened."

"Kory, don't stress; everything's going to work out." Even though he said it, he didn't know how much truth was behind it. Things seemed to have a way of working themselves out, but he didn't see how this situation ever would; however, he couldn't leave for Gotham knowing that Kory was in a state of anxiety.

"I have to go," he said, removing his grip on her shoulders.

"Please try to be careful; I do not like it when you come home injured."

Dick smirked. "I know Kory, you tell me every time."

"Well, I will stop repeating it when you actually come home unscathed," Kory's spirits lifted a little when she heard the slight laugh escape from Dick's lips. "I am glad you think it is funny that I worry about you." She crossed her arms over her chest.

Dick gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "I actually love that you worry about me," Dick patted his pockets. "Hey, have you seen my iPod? I want to listen to it on the jet."

"I was hoping that you would not notice. I was going to keep it and listen to it while you were gone."

Dick raised an eyebrow. "But I bought you one for your birthday; it has the same songs as mine."

"But yours is well...yours. I like to have something to remind me of you."

Dick sighed. "Fine, give me yours then. I'll tote around the girly, purple one," he said sarcastically, hoping that it would make her hand over his red iPod. He should have known better; Kory gave him the purple one, but he didn't have time to complain, he needed to go. **After all, a purple iPod is better than no iPod.**

He picked up his duffel bag, threw it over his shoulder and made his way towards the door.

"I love you," Kory said quickly. To Dick, it almost sounded as if she needed to say the words in order to assure herself that things would indeed be okay.

He turned to her before exiting the door after hearing the desperation in her voice. "I love you, too."

* * *

After an hour-long jet ride and a twenty-minute cab ride from the airport, he had finally arrived at the mansion. He handed the cab driver forty dollars and whatever change he had in his pockets. He felt slightly guilty for leaving him such a measly tip, but that's all the cash he had on him. He had exited the jet expecting to see Alfred's car waiting for him, but Bruce failed to inform him that he'd need to find his own way to the mansion.

Not bothering to watch him drive off, Dick picked up his bag and walked to the mansion's main entrance.

"Bruce! Alfred! I'm here!"

He listened very intently, expecting a response – if not from Bruce, than at least Alfred. When he didn't hear anything, he explored the first floor, looking in all of the rooms. He dropped his bag at the entrance, made a mental note to grab it later, and headed to the Wayne Manor study.

He didn't see Bruce at his desk, so he assumed that Batman was probably at his. He stepped up to the elegant grandfather clock and turned the hour and minute hands to their appropriate spots. Meanwhile, Dick was cursing inwardly about how rude and inconsiderate Bruce was being about his arrival.

The clock shifted and opened up to reveal a pathway and Dick walked through seething with frustration. He continued to mumble to himself all the way down the steps that led to the cave entrance.

"Okay, so what's so important that I had to come today?" His voice echoed throughout the room. He cringed after hearing the amount of venom that pumped into the question; he hadn't meant it to come out so… harsh.

"Hasn't anyone told you that you'll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar?" asked a feminine voice from the chair sitting at the computer station. Dick's jaw dropped as the chair swiveled around to reveal the woman from which the question came. "You could at least look happy to see me. I thought we had a connection, you and I."

Dick didn't waste anytime in grabbing the mini staffs that he always kept tucked into his socks. "Catwoman, what are you doing here?" He asked before launching into a battle stance.

"Calm down, little bird, I was invited," she said, removing the spandex that covered her hair and face and letting it dangle from the rest of her costume like an unused hood.

"Invited?" Dick straightened up and dropped his hands to his side. "By who?" He knew that was a stupid question.

"By me," said Bruce, who was still wearing his Batman uniform but without the cowl. He walked over from the left side of the cave and stood in front of Dick. "Who else would invite her?"

Dick's eyes immediately moved to Catwoman, who was playfully sticking her tongue out at him. He couldn't help but glare at her with narrowed eyes.

"So I guess the cat is out of the bag, so to speak; she knows who we are."

Catwoman, Selina Kyle, laughed in the background at his pun. "If that's the case, then it's been out of the bag for a while now."

Dick's eyes grew wide and looked to Bruce for an answer, but he ignored it. "Selina's here to help."

Dick scoffed.

"I take it someone isn't my biggest fan?"

"What gave you that impression?" he asked with a smirk. "It could have something to do with the fact that you tried to hold me hostage once and double-crossed me on multiple occasions."

Selina stood up from her seat at the database and started walking over to him. "Oh, the memories." She stood in front of him and ran one of her un-gloved fingers under his chin allowing her long fingernail to catch on the end of it. "We can re-live a couple of them, if you like."

"Mrs. Robinson, are you trying to seduce me?" Dick asked in a low monotonous voice.

The question caused her to laugh aloud for a second time. "It's good to know that you've retained your sense of humor."

Bruce cleared his throat. "Selina, can I have a minute alone with Dick," and after seeing the look on her face he added, "please?"

"Well, since you asked so nicely…" Selina walked up, planted a light kiss on Bruce's cheek and whispered something into his ear before leaving to go upstairs.

When she was finally out of earshot, he spoke. "Were you ever planning on telling me this?"

"Telling you what?" Bruce passed Dick and walked to the computer, sitting in the spot that Selina previously inhabited.

"I don't know, Bruce; what do you _think_? I'm asking why you didn't tell me that Catwoman knew who we were – as Batman and Robin."

Bruce grunted before he turned around in his chair and began to update log files on his computer.

"And now you're ignoring me, thanks." Dick shook his head and began to wonder why he even bothered to try.

"I'm not ignoring you Dick, I just wasn't aware that I had to keep you updated on my personal life." He said matter-of-factly. "Selina isn't an enemy, not anymore."

Dick let out a loud sigh before walking over to the computer's mainframe and leaning his back against it. Not wanting to argue, he decided to change the subject. "So, what nut job are we going after tonight? On the phone, you made it seem like an emergency. Ra's isn't back is he?"

"No."

"Then they must be a big deal if you had me flown out here; speaking of which, why did you not arrange a ride for me? That's kind of shitty, Bruce."

"You like to constantly remind me of how independent you are."

"Are you going to brief me on the mission or are you going to keep avoiding the subject?"

"There is no mission, –"

Dick angrily cut him off. "If there isn't a mission then why the hell am I even here, Bruce? I had things back in JumpCity that I needed to take care of!"

"Alfred's sick."

"Alfred's sick? How?"

"He hasn't been feeling well lately and yesterday, he collapsed in the study and sprained his Psoas major while cleaning. I've been telling him to take it easy, but he doesn't listen." Bruce stopped typing and turned to Dick. "He is getting old, Dick. As much as I don't want to acknowledge it, things like this just happen."

"Where is he now?"

"The hospital; I think he's going to be okay, for now, but you can never be sure. I just thought you'd want to be here."

Dick nodded. "Yeah, definitely," he said, feeling like an absolute ass. "I'm sorry."

"Leslie's doing some tests on him now; he should be released into my care by this afternoon." Bruce stood up from his chair and began walking to the costume vault.

"Why couldn't you just tell me this over the phone?" Dick asked, following three feet behind him.

"It isn't a conversation to have over the phone." Bruce stepped inside the vault.

"So what does Catwom - Selina - have to do with this?"

Bruce emerged from the vault wearing a pair of casual slacks, a polo shirt and a blazer. "What do you mean?"

"You said earlier that she was here to help."

Bruce brushed Dick's shoulder as he walked by him in his journey to the stairs leading to the mansion. "She's going to patrol for me tonight," Bruce didn't even bother looking back. "Alfred's sacrificed many of his nights to take care of me; I think I owe him one of mine."

Dick continued to follow Bruce out of the cave; he was not satisfied with his father's evasive behavior about his relationship with Selina Kyle. "Wow...she's patrolling for you."

"That's why she was in the cave; I was briefing her."

Dick nodded.

"So things must be serious between you two, then?" Dick knew that he probably shouldn't press the subject, but when it came to Bruce, he never was any good at suppressing his curiosity. "And obviously you have learned to trust her, since you revealed your identity and all. Are you an official couple?"

As always - he received no answers, but Dick knew Bruce well enough to know that silence usually meant affirmation. Making a mental note to bring it up later, he dropped the subject. He would get information out of him though, even if it meant having to log in time on the Zogger.

* * *

"Master Dick, I insist that neither you nor Master Bruce drop your plans for the evening. I will be fine here; I refuse to be a burden."

Alfred Pennyworth had been released from the hospital not two hours ago and already Dick could tell that his and Bruce's constant attention annoyed him. Between worrying about them giving up their "jobs" for the night and him trying to figure out things for them to do in order to make use of their time, Alfred was exhausted.

"You can't get rid of us that easily Alfred. You heard Leslie, you need to take this medication every five hours," he said with a smile, but really, it was a façade. Dick never really worried about Alfred before and honestly never took notice of his aging; he just assumed that old age didn't apply to Alfred. He'd never lost anyone to age before; this was uncharted territory and he didn't know how he would be able to handle it when death did inevitably come knocking on Alfred's door. He dedicated his life to saving the lives of those in near-death situations and it was hard to acknowledge that in some situations, death was natural.

"Here you go, Al," he handed him the small, blue and yellow pill, "take this and I'll leave you alone for five hours; I know you're getting tired of us by now." He smirked.

"Indeed, sir. I just sincerely hope that I haven't given you or Master Bruce a scare."

Dick made a "psssssshhht" noise before walking to the door. "I'm not worried, Alfred. I know you; you'll end up outliving us all, if not for any reason but to make sure we don't leave a mess behind." Dick watched as Alfred took the pill and picked up the book laying on his nightstand, preparing to read it. He nodded and walked out the door, upholding his word.

He met Bruce in the hallway, "Hey, Alfred just took his pill. He's good for another five hours."

"Good."

"Now what?"

"Dick, would you join me in the study? I'd like to talk to you."

Dick looked at him confused, but nodded at the same time. "Yeah, sure." He watched Bruce walk off toward the study and wondered what it was that Bruce wanted to talk to him about. He started following him and strangely grew more anxious with each step. When they both entered the study, Bruce shut the door.

"So, uhm, Bruce, what did you want to talk about?" Dick asked nervously. There was something about Bruce's "I'd like to talk to you" that made him feel like a kid that had just broken a priceless heirloom.

"Have a seat, Dick."

Dick obliged by walking over to the window and hopping up on the window seat. He watched as Bruce pulled his desk chair over in order to sit across from him.

"What's going on in your life, Dick?"

"What do you mean, Bruce?"

"I haven't gotten the chance to actually sit down and talk to you for a long time. I just want to know what's happening."

Dick thought for a minute. Had Bruce found out about Kory's incident with the Titans? Had he found out about her sexual assault? It was none of Bruce's business – he didn't like it when Dick asked him questions about _his_ personal life, so why did Bruce find it apropos to ask him? He knew that he had to respond with something or else his 'father' would get suspicious.

"Nothing much, I mean, you know, just running the Titans and I don't know...why are you asking?" Dick rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "No offense, but it really isn't like you to sit me down and ask me about my day."

Bruce leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. "I talked to Selina and she told me that I should communicate with you more."

"You've been talking to Selina about me?" Dick asked with a hint of shock in his voice.

After a few seconds of no response, Dick continued. "Is something bothering you?"

"Alfred being sick has just made come to terms with a lot of things."

"Such as?"

"My relationship with you, for one."

Dick raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I'm listening."

"I was so concerned with my own mission that I completely ignored my parental responsibility to you. I'm sorry that I've pushed you away and denied you the chance to live a normal life."

Dick sighed and an unintentional smirk formed on his face. "So, you weren't a perfect father; who is?" He gathered his thoughts for a few seconds before continuing. "I was lucky – privileged – and not because of all the luxuries, but because you gave a lot of yourself to me. You taught me, you showed me and encouraged me. You never once lied to me about who you were or put on a fake face and you never demanded that I be anything that I'm not."

"Except for when I "tried to force you" to go to college, you mean."

"What can I say, Bruce, I was a kid. I didn't want to admit it then, but I made a lot of rash decisions."

Bruce nodded. "I just don't want to wake up when I'm eighty and have you resent me because of this life that I created myself and raised you in; there was a time when I thought about keeping all this darkness away from you, but Alfred insisted that I be honest with you, that you would find out eventually."

"I don't carry on your mission because you forced me to; I do it by choice because it's the right thing to do. Granted it took me acting like an ass and abandoning everyone to realize it, but I finally did. There are times when I wish things were different, but when it comes down to it, I'm glad that I turned out the way I did; I wouldn't change anything. You and Alfred gave me a home; you gave me the best you had. Even though it's hard to tell and I question it from time to time; I really do believe that you love me. Let's just say that I could've done worse." He finished with a shrug.

"Some fear dying alone; I fear dying alone only because I have severed ties with those closest to me."

"Well, I'm not planning on going anywhere. We may have our fair share of issues, but you're my family. Even after our massive falling out, I wasn't able to stay away for more than two years. You're too much a part of who I am."

Anyway, want to tell me what else you've come to terms with?" Dick smiled as Bruce narrowed his eyes.

"No."

"Oh, so Selina wouldn't happen to be included in any of those?"

"That topic isn't open for discussion."

"_Come on_, Bruce, you have to let me in on this; I'm dying of curiosity."

Bruce stood up from his chair and moved it back to its original place behind the desk.

"I'm not saying that it's a bad thing; in fact, I like Selina and if you say you trust her, then I believe you. I will admit that I was a bit upset when I saw her in the batcave earlier, but if you two are seeing each other, I'll be nothing short of supportive."

Silence filled the room, once again.

"So does your silence mean that you two are indeed seeing each other?"

"Why are we talking about my private life? Why don't we discuss yours?"

As if floodgates had opened, at Bruce's request, Dick proceeded to tell him about everything that had been going on in his life. Dick couldn't believe the words as they flew out of his mouth. Bringing it up for discussion had not been part of the game plan and even though he desperately needed to talk to someone about it, he wasn't expecting Bruce to be that person. One, he sucked at dealing out advice; two, he wasn't Kory's biggest fan – a fact Dick had yet to see reason in.****

"Do you know who did it?"

"No, she says that she can't remember anything about him, but I have a feeling that it was some guy that she met at this bar downtown. I also have a hunch that he knows who she is because I distinctively heard him say her name that night at the park."

"She wasn't able to defend herself?"

"...we had a bad fight and since her powers are directly linked to her emotions..."

"I see."

"I don't understand how things between us have gotten so fucked up. Believe me when I say this, Bruce, I've been as understanding as anyone can possibly be. I haven't asked questions because I know she doesn't feel like talking about the actual events of "it" and I'm overly attentive to her. Nothing seems to be working though, because all she seems to want to do is lie, ignore and hide her emotions from me."

"Dick, everyone has to deal with tragedy in different ways."

"I know that and that's why I have been patient with her, but last night, she nearly killed someone; in fact, the guy could still die because he's stuck in a coma. Normally, I would just give her an insignificant punishment and secretly think that the scum deserved it, but he was a vital piece of this mission that we've been working on. I have no choice but to disband her from the team."

He knew that Bruce's mind was reeling with questions about Stassney Black and Kory's attack on him, but Dick didn't feel like answering any questions about it; he just wanted – no needed – to get everything off his chest.

"What was she doing on the mission in the first place?"

"I didn't know that she was having rage issues and I certainly didn't know that they were affecting the strength of her powers; she never told me."

"Dick, I don't know what to tell you. When you deal with someone who possesses a certain amount of power, you always need to be extra observant." Bruce began. "You can't always trust –"

"Bruce, I'm not telling you this to hear your spiel on the dangers of aliens and metahumans. I get it, you don't like Kory; I have heard you loud and clear since the very beginning of our relationship. I'm telling you this because I am on the verge of a nervous breakdown."

Tears began to pool in Dick's eyes and he quickly tried to subdue them by leaning his head back.

"Just calm down and breathe."

"Sorry, I'm just stressed out about everything, but talking about it made me feel better...kind of." Dick regulated his breathing. Even though Bruce was being oddly comforting for the moment, he still wouldn't sit around and watch him cry.

"No problem, but the person you should be talking to is Kory, not me."

"...I know..."

Dick and Bruce both remained silent, not knowing what else to say.

"So can we cut it with the mushy stuff, now? I'm beginning to feel like a girl." Dick asked, forcing a smile onto his face.

"Yes, thank God." Bruce said almost too anxiously.

Dick looked around the room while he tried to think of something to say; he knew that if he didn't bring up another topic, then he and Bruce would be standing there in awkward silence until one of them finally left the room.

"So does this mean I can start calling Selina 'mom'?" Dick asked humorously.

"Not if you want to live." Bruce patted Dick on the shoulder before making his way out of the room.

"Yeah, I am totally going to have fun with this."

* * *

He missed Kory and even though he somewhat dreaded the conversation that he knew he was going to have with her, he couldn't wait to see her. Dick walked into the tower, half-expecting a greeting followed by a fake smile, but was surprised to see that she wasn't in the main room at all. In fact, from what he could tell, the tower was empty. **Assuming that the team must have gone out on a mission and **that Kory wouldn't have gone, Dick set out to locate her.

He checked his bedroom first so that he could drop his bag off, but he didn't find her there. However, Dick knew all of Kory's "spots" around the tower, so it didn't take long to figure out that she was probably on the roof and if she was, then she already knew that he was home.

He opened the door to the roof and he was right: she was there and she was waiting for him.

"It took you long enough."

Dick smiled and walked toward her silhouette sitting on the edge of the building. "I had to drop my bag off. Where are the others?"

Kory didn't answer his question, but instead wrung her hands together in nervousness; Dick could tell that something was wrong and she was trying to find the words. He swallowed the lump in his throat and took a seat beside her.

"I am no longer wanted." She wasn't crying; she didn't even sound upset about it. Her voice was eerily calm, but her statement alone was enough to make Dick show concern.

"Kory, what are you talking about? Of course you're wanted."

"Dick, you do not have to hide anything from me; the Titans spoke to me today."

Dick froze. He couldn't believe that they had actually told her; he thought that they were going to let him handle it. **How dare the Titans go behind his back and speak to her without his say – he was the leader of this team, damnit!**

"Do not be alarmed, I am okay," Kory said, calm voice while staring off into the distance. "It is my fault, really. I should have listened to Raven, but I was too stubborn."

"Kory, I'm very upset that they took it upon themselves to talk to you about this, but that is beside the point. You are in, _no way_, unwanted. They just want you to take a break until you are better."

"Do you not agree?"

Hearing the small amount of hope infused with that question caused a mountain-sized lump to form in his throat. "I told them that they should wait for an explanation." His voice wavered before he swallowed the mass that had formed; there was no way to avoid disappointment. "But as leader of this team, I can't play favorites. Stassney's confession was vital to the mission and now the chances of getting one are slim to none. As much as I don't want to agree with the team's decision – and believe me when I say that I don't – I have no choice."

He looked over to see Kory hanging her head in shame.

"However, as your boyfriend, I'm placing my trust in you. I know that you wouldn't go off on someone without a good reason – rage issues or not."

Kory nodded. "Stassney has acquired a few new abilities."

That statement was enough to peak Dick's curiosity. "What do you mean?" he asked slowly and cautiously.

"Somehow, Stassney received the ability to control my visions; it is all still very confusing to me."

Dick's fists clenched out of impulse as his eyes narrowed. "What did he do to you?"

"One minute we were conversing outside of the clock tower and the next, we were alone in the middle of the park. At first, I thought that maybe he used teleportation somehow, but none of you were there; that is how I knew that the park was not real."

"So he knows mind control?"

"I asked if he was trying to torture me and then he made me watch…Oh, I cannot even speak of it."

Dick watched in awe as Kory kept her composure as she repeated the events of the night. He didn't blame her for going off on him and after hearing her explanation; he honestly couldn't say that he wouldn't have done the same thing.

"You were right, there is someone behind all of this; he mentioned how accepting this new power helped him in his battle for survival."

"Why would he do such a cruel thing to you? How did he know?"

"He sensed my fear of the park; when he asked me why, I had already revealed the reason in my mind before I remembered that he could hear everything that I was thinking. Please do not be disappointed in me, Dick. From that point forward, I was sure to employ your "random thoughts method" although it did not seem to help the chain of events."

At this point, Kory's eyes finally succumbed to the tears that had been threatening to take over. "I did not prepare myself for him. Raven was right; I did not know what I was getting myself into." She turned her head to face Dick. "I should have known that he would have used any vulnerability that I had against me."

Dick instantly brought her into a hug allowing her to wipe her eyes on his shirt. "I just thought that my rage had disappeared; I thought that everything was going to be okay."

"Kory, why didn't you tell me that you were having issues with your anger? I could have helped; I could've prevented all of this."

"I am so sorry Dick, I should have! I just thought that you would see me differently if I revealed to you how strong my rage had become; more than anything, I would not be able to take it if your opinion of me lowered and you did not want to love me anymore."

"Try me." Dick was a little irked by her excuse. He had never given her a reason to think that his love for her was circumstantial, so why would she believe that?

"I…do not know…"

"Just tell me, come on," he demanded and threw his hands up in irritation. "How can I prove to you that my love is unconditional, damnit?"

Dick's minor outburst threatened to leave Kory speechless; however, she complied and told him what he'd wanted to hear. "I wanted to kill him. I would have these vivid dreams about what would happen if I ever found myself face-to-face with him again and each of those dreams ended with his death."

"Kory, those kinds of feelings are normal; I could've told you that," he reassured her. "Trust me; I wouldn't mind getting my hands on him, myself. I just wish you would've trusted me with your feelings; it really hurts me that you didn't – more than you'll ever know."

Kory frowned.

"I mean, you can read emotions, right? Could you not see how much your silence was killing me?"

"To be honest, I do not think I ever tried to see. Perhaps, deep down, I did not want to know because I knew that it would make me feel worse than I already did?"

It was never her intention to hurt Dick; it was the last thing that she ever wanted to do. "I have been on Earth so long that I have forgotten the parts of Tamaran that I truly loved - like the inability to hold in emotions. I miss that about myself; I miss the days that I said how I felt, all the time and I did not care who knew it." Kory talked and Dick listened intently.

"Of all the troubles on Tamaran none are caused by hidden feelings. I have come to realize that the troubles in our relationship have all come from the failure to communicate and I have to admit that lately, that failure has come from my end. I am sorry, Dick; I am going to try everything in my power to be as open with my emotions as I once was."

"Maybe it's my fault, somehow," Dick responded. "When it comes to open communication, I'm not really a poster child. I haven't been as open with you as I should've been; I'm sorry for that. You being more closed off can probably be linked to me and my inability – in the past – to truly drop all of my emotional walls."

"No, Dick. Please do not think like that."

"But it all changes today, Kory. No more secrets. No more lies. There are so many things about me and my past that I should've told you by now, but haven't." Kory pulled out of the embrace and looked him in his eyes as he spoke. "There are a lot of things about you that I don't know. If we are going to work – and I really want us to work – we have to start being more open with each other. Starting with me," Dick reached an arm behind his back and picked up a gift box.

"I am confused, Dick. What does a gift have to do with honesty?"

"Just open it."

Kory removed the box lid and revealed the most interestingly beautiful contraption that she had ever seen. It was a spiders' web made of leather and clear string, adorned with beautiful feathers and turquoise beads. As far as she could tell, it didn't do anything extraordinary, but that fact didn't make it any less beautiful. "I have never seen anything like this before; it is beautiful. Do I wear it as jewelry?"

A slight chuckle escaped from his lips as he watched Kory place it close to her ear lobes. "No, you don't wear it at all – it's a dream catcher."

"A dream catcher?"

"Native American legend says that if you hang one of these by your bed, it will catch all of the bad thoughts in the air before they can enter your dreams; it will prevent you from having nightmares." Dick explained.

"Is this real?"

"Of course not, Kory; it's just folklore, but hey, it's nice to have anything you can on your side."

"Oh Dick, thank you so much! I love it." Kory held the dream catcher in her hands and pressed it to her chest.

"I'm glad." He smiled.

"You really should not have though; this is so beautiful; it must have cost a fortune."

"They really aren't that expensive, but I didn't buy that one. I've had it for a while." Dick said preparing himself for the speech that he was about to give. The memories of his parents' death were still very painful and as time passed, he began to realize that he would never get over it; however, Kory deserved to know the truth about his past – painful or not. It was going to be difficult to talk about it, but he was determined to get through it.

"I know that I've told you that my parents died, but I never told you how or why." He took in a deep breath hoping that he would be able to get through this conversation. "My parents and I used to be part of a circus act called "The Flying Graysons" do you know what a trapeze is?"

Kory nodded.

"Okay, yeah, so that's what we did. To make a long story short, a mafia boss trying to extort money from the circus, tampered with our act; what started out as our normal routine ended up with me watching both my parents fall to their deaths. Thank God that Bruce was in the audience that night; no telling what would have happened to me if he hadn't been." Dick avoided Kory's gaze refusing any pity.

"I kept getting these awful nightmares that would cause me to wake up in a cold sweat; soon, I was avoiding sleep because I feared it. That's when Alfred gave me this," Dick tapped the dream catcher that Kory cradled in her hands. "It was his solution; except when he gave it to me, he told me it was real. I actually believed him, too. It was probably just placebo effect, but my nightmares died down after that and I always attributed it to that dream catcher."

Dick exhaled, reached over and grabbed Kory's free hand. "I'm sorry that I never told you any of that sooner; I should've."

"Dick, I do not know why you did not. You know that I too am not free of heartbreak; I am sorry that you had to watch the death of your mom and dad, but I appreciate you telling me. Your story puts much more meaning behind your gift; I love it even more, now."

"I'm glad that you like it," he said with a smile.

Kory remained silent for a moment, and played with the feathers at the end of the dream catcher. Dick took a huge risk opening up; she owed him the same respect.

"You wish me to share my feelings and emotions with you, no matter what they are, correct?"

"Yes," Dick responded cautiously.

"My anger has subsided to make way for a new set of feelings; I feel that I have come to terms with everything that has happened to me."

"That's great news."

"I owe it to Stassney. At the time, I thought he was being cruel so that I would hate him, but now I see that what he said makes a lot of sense; he was telling the truth that everyone else had been sheltering me from."

"What did he say?"

"I believe his exact words were, 'everyone deserves what happens to them in some way or another.' It took me a while, but I actually understand what he was trying to say and I feel that I can finally get closure on this situation. All the bad things that have happened to me in the past only occurred because I allowed them to; therefore, I deserved them."

Dick stared at his girlfriend in disbelief. Were his ears deceiving him or was he actually hearing her correctly?

"Perhaps if I had not acted like such a klorbag during our argument, then such a tragedy would not have occurred. In fact, had the fight not even taken place, I probably would not have left the tower. I see that now."

He couldn't listen to it anymore; it was making him physically ill. "I'm going to kill him; it's that simple, Kory. If he ever comes out of that coma I'm gonna -"

"Dick! No, please do not say such things; I would never wish you to inflict such an extreme punishment on my behalf."

"I knew that I shouldn't have sent you out there like that; I knew that he would do or say something fucked up to you, because that's what he always does. Kory, what you're saying deeply concerns me. Are you telling me that because Stassney Black- a criminal-told you that you are to blame, you're going to believe it? He wouldn't know; and everyone deserves misfortune? Kory, that isn't coming to terms with anything; thinking like that will just make you feel worse."

"Please do not get angry with me."

"I'm not angry at all, I just don't want you going around thinking that you deserve what happened to you, because you don't." He grabbed the dream catcher from her and set it to the side before her hands and holding them. "You didn't do anything wrong and the fight was just as much my fault as it was yours. Trust me when I say that I have felt my fair share of responsibility, but I had to get over it. It isn't my fault; it isn't your fault; the asshole that did it to you, it's his fault and he _will_ pay for it."

"...yeah..." Kory said nervously.

"You said that Stassney made you...watch... did you see him? Do you know what he looks like now?"

Kory told herself as she shook her head. "I only saw what Stassney could see. If I cannot remember what my assailant looked like, then I doubt he could know." Kory frowned as she spoke.

"Kory, I know that there isn't much that I can do to help you get over things, but I want you to know that I do love you – more than anything. Please don't be afraid to be open and honest with me anymore, I want to help you in any way that I can."

"Dick, you are very wrong. You have already done so more than you probably realize. I am extremely grateful to have you as my boyfriend."

Dick smiled, leaned in and touched his forehead against hers.

"I noticed that you came home from Gotham undamaged," Kory said, desperately wanting to change the subject. "I guess this means that I can no longer tell you to be careful."

Dick saw the desperation in Kory's eyes and decided to go along with her. He didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. If she didn't want to talk about it anymore, then he'd drop it.

"You had doubts?" He joked, deciding that he would talk to her about Alfred at a different time. This conversation needed to lighten up a little bit and who better to do it. "Please, Kory. No one in Gotham stands a chance against me; they don't call me the boy wonder for nothing."

Dick had different personalities for different occasions; she assumed that each one had their pros and cons, but her favorite was playful Dick and she had yet to find a con about it. He always knew when the mood needed to be lighter or when someone needed a smile and he was really good at cheering people up; at least he was good at cheering her up.

"I think I could take you," Kory said cheekily.

"Never."

With those words, she caught Dick off guard by enveloping his lips in a romantic embrace.

**_Yeah, she could totally take me._**

* * *

**Source Material:**

THE NEW TEEN TITANS #39 - January 1988

NIGHTWING MINI SERIES #4, 1995


	10. Chapter Nine

**Updated April 2013**

**Disclaimer: **See Prologue.

* * *

**.:. Bound To You.:.**

Chapter 9

* * *

_**It's been three weeks.**_

"Robin, how do you like my new suit? I constructed it all by myself. It's made with all kinds of new and fancy gadgets that help me do things...like THIS!" Dr. Light viciously demonstrated his new light weapon by firing a stream of light right in Dick's direction. Jumping out of the way, he failed to notice that the doctor fired a second stream that was heading straight toward the spot that Dick was about to land. He couldn't stop himself and collided with the beam, causing him to fly backwards towards a back alley dumpster. He tried to stop himself by putting his foot down, but an injury to his ankle was the only thing accomplished by that. The screeching sound made by the metal dumpster as it skid around the concrete upon impact made his ears want to bleed. Thanking God that his cape was ten times stronger than steel - that was the only thing that kept his spine from shattering - and cursing God because his ankle wasn't, Dick wearily stood up and tapped the communicator on his glove.

"Titans, this is proving to be more difficult than I originally thought, we are going to have to stick together; use the buddy system. If he gets us alone, he will keep taking us out, one-by-one!" Dick yelled into the receiver. "The only chance we have is Raven; have you found a way to channel your rage yet?"

_**Kory has been on hiatus for three weeks.**_

"No, I've been trying for the last hour." Raven answered. "Something is causing me to lose my concentration. I haven't been able to use my powers at all; I've been trying to keep a low profile."

An idea struck Dick, "I don't know why I didn't think of this before!" Dick cursed himself inwardly for not operating at his full potential. "He must be emitting some sort of signal."

"I've been hearing a high pitched hum, but I didn't think that it would have anything to do with this." Garfield added.

Dick clenched his fists and took in a deep breath, "Beast Boy, in the future, things like that would be good to know."

Ignoring Garfield's, "sorry boss," Dick continued. "Cyborg, I need you to track down the source of the transmissions and get back to me. In the meantime, you stay with Raven and Beast Boy, you're with me!"

"Already on it!" Victor announced.

"On my way, boss," Garfield said before turning into a cheetah and racing towards Dick's location.

When Garfield arrived, he saw Dick standing on one leg, leaning against a dented dumpster. "Dude, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Dick waved off his concern. "Beast Boy, we need to find a way to distract him; we need to take him by surprise and knock him down off of his ledge."

Garfield nodded while taking in Dick's orders.

"It's going to have to be done covertly or else he'll just keep manifesting shields around himself."

"I can handle it!"

"Titans, you won't be able to hide from me forever! You are the ones that started this fight, now let me finish it!"

Dick jumped out from the alley to prove to Dr. Light that he was no coward; however, when he landed on his bum ankle, he bit his lip to avoid crying out in pain; if it hadn't fractured before, it sure had now. Despite the injury, Dick knew he would fight through the pain – he'd dealt with much worse before.

"Arthur, you will not get away with this; we will stop you." Dick yelled back at him, knowing that he probably wasn't paying much attention.

"Robin, there isn't much you can do to stop me, now."

"Hey, Rob, I located the signal," Victor's boisterous voice boomed into his earpiece. "He's using the satellite on top of the LexCorp building."

"Cyborg, I'm heading there now!"

"Hey, do you need me to come with you?" Garfield asked.

Dick knew that he probably should take him along because of A, the fact that he could barely put any weight on his foot and B, he was the one who instated the current 'buddy system' they were using. However, as levelheaded as he was he was equally as prideful and if anyone was going to take that scumbag down, it was going to be him. "I'll go alone!"

"Dude, are you sure? You're hurt."

"Beast Boy, follow my orders. Stay here, I am going to need you to distract Dr. Light while I cancel out his transmission," Dick ordered.

"Whatever happened to 'stick to the buddy system'?" he heard Garfield's voice ring in his ear.

Dick ignored Garfield's comment and directed his attention toward LexCorp tower. "Cyborg, stay with Raven; when I give the orders, Beast Boy, you knock Dr. Light off of the edge, Cyborg you blast him with your sonic canon and Raven, you do whatever you need to do."

"Robin, out!" Dick shot a grapple out in the distance while he turned off his receiver and left Garfield behind. Once he got far enough away from Gar, he landed and winced. This ankle was becoming a huge pain in the ass. He looked over at his destination. He needed to get on top of that roof and shut down the transmitter so that Raven could channel her emotions and by God, he was going to do it - injured ankle or not. He took in a deep breath and exhaled as a sigh.

Since running was obviously out of the question, he decided to grapple his way there, hoping that he'd be able to scale the building with his ankle. The more he climbed and landed on it, the more it hurt. He continued to swing, hop and climb his way towards his destination.

The Titans had already been battling Dr. Light a while now and Dick was exhausted; yet, here he was pushing his body over its limits again. Sure, they'd had battles that lasted longer than this before, but he'd also avoided being tossed around like a rag doll during most of them. When it came down to battling Dr. Light, he was useless.

He finally arrived on top of the LexCorp building and strongly resisted the urge to collapse; the pain in his ankle was causing his body to react defensively – he wanted to pass out.

"Sneaky, sneaky Robin..."

Dick didn't even bother turning around, he knew that Dr. Light was standing behind him getting ready to blast him again. He looked down at the city below desperately trying to seek out something that his grapple could latch to that would break his fall.

"I guess you've figured out my game plan; you always were a great detective; not the world's best of course, but that is evident by the amount of time that it took you to figure everything out."

That statement really pissed Dick off to no end and mostly because it was true; he should have figured it out earlier. He shouldn't have let his mind wander. He continued to look down at the city below, but he felt his mind fading in and out; it was begging to fall asleep.

"Robin, you are done now. Get prepared to see the light."

Dick cringed, waiting for the ray's impact as he world around him seemed to move in slow motion. He closed his eyes waiting for the moment that never came.

"Dude, get to the satellite!" Dick heard Garfield yell. He opened his eyes and watched him instantly morph into a rhinoceros and ram Dr. Light unconsciously into the air. Dick wasted no time and ran to the satellite box rewiring it to remove the offending signal. Once done, he turned on his receiver and yelled, "Cyborg, Raven, GO!" knowing that if Garfield were at the building, so were they.

Dick's suspicions were confirmed when Dr. Light barreled back into the air by a blue stream only to get sucked into a black hole as soon as the words, "Azarath Metrion Zynthos" were spoken.

Dick looked over to his green teammate. "Good job, Beast Boy."

"Do you need a ride down?" Garfield asked while nodding towards Dick's ankle.

"I can handle it." He limped to the edge of the building and jumped off, but Garfield didn't listen and carried him down anyway - using the form of a pterodactyl.

"I said I could handle it." Dick said as Garfield placed him on the ground in front of Victor and Raven.

"I've contacted the city officials. They are on their way to pick up this piece of trash and haul his rear end to Belle Reve." Victor said. Dick winced as he landed on the ground in front of his team. He took a brief moment to look at his two teammates: Raven looked almost, if not more so, exhausted than he was – summoning rage always left her a weak afterwards – and Cyborg's strong metal armor had acquired a few dings and dents. However, Dick knew that he would be able to repair those in no time.

"Good."

Garfield morphed back into his 'human' form. "I'm glad I stuck to the buddy system, or Robin'd be a goner!"

"I would've figured something out Beast Boy," he said, "I always do."

"If this is going to continue," Victor said, powering down the sonic cannon in his arm, "we need a new game plan, Robin."

Dick knew exactly what Victor was talking about; they wouldn't be able to operate with just four members for much longer.

"Victor, I know exactly what you're saying and I'll take care of it." Dick said, still trying to ignore the urge to pass out from the pain.

"I really miss the days when we thought Mad Mod was a serious threat," Garfield noted jokingly.

Everyone nodded in agreement, but no one laughed.

* * *

"My friends! How did your mission fare?" Kory asked, dropping her current task and bounding towards the door. Victor, Gar and Raven filed into the room, each of them with a look of pure exhaustion written all over his/her face. "Did your mission not go well? Where is Dick?"

"I'm here," He announced while limping into the room. "I had to take the elevator."

Kory's jaw dropped. "What happened to you?"

"It's nothing major, just a sprain."

He was certain that it was more than just a sprain, but he didn't feel like going to the medic at the moment and he also didn't want to alarm Kory any more than she already was.

"Here Dick, let me help you." She quickly went to Dick and helped him walk – or hobble – to the nearest chair. "Do you need me to get you an icepack?" When he shook his head, she decided to take a seat on the sofa across the room to monitor his behavior.

Victor scoffed, "Raven offered to heal it up quickly for you, but you're too damn stubborn to take any assistance-"

"Enough!" Dick interrupted. "I have my reasons; drop the subject."

Raven ignored the mention of her name and re-located to one of the room's corners.

"Are you sure that your resistance has nothing to do with your ego?" Victor continued, obviously not obeying Dick's orders; however, Dick just ignored him.

Kory looked around the room at all of her friends. "All of you look a little battered, is there anything that I can assist with?" She asked wide-eyed and hopeful; she prayed to X'hal that the Titans would have a task for her – big or small, it didn't matter. For the past three weeks, she'd been cooped up in the tower with nothing to do but play Victor's video games and watch Dick's movie collection – all of which were movies that she didn't particularly enjoy very much. She desperately craved a task – something that would make her feel useful.

Dick kicked off his boot and began to wrap his ankle with some of the reserve gauze that he kept in his utility belt. "Kory, you're on suspension; the point is to not do anything. Don't you get that? You should be taking this time to concentrate on yourself and your healing process." He didn't mean it as harsh as it had come out, but he wasn't going to apologize for it either – at least not now.

"There is no need for rudeness, Richard. I was just offering my help," she said with attitude; however, the hurt in her voice was apparent to anyone that was paying attention.

"Pay no attention to him, Goldie," Victor said as he walked up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "He's just in a grumpy mood today." Dick mumbled something under his breath as he finished his ankle wrap. "In fact, he's been in a grumpy mood for the last three weeks."

"I can't speak for anyone else Kory, but I could use a massage while I watch Animal Planet." Garfield said with a wink before turning on the television and morphing into a cat. He leaped through the air, landed on the couch and then crawled into Kory's lap.

Usually when Gar pulled his perverted stunts, she would ignore him, reject him or try to teach him a lesson – and that usually involved a low watt star bolt; however, Dick was acting like a total jerk and she appreciated the attention.

Kory stroked the green cat that purred in her lap until he started rubbing his head against her breasts. Before she could take action herself, he was lifted hastily from her lap.

"Salad-head," Dick growled while lifting Gar up by his neck, "the only thing you need to concentrate on right now is not perving on my girlfriend." Upon his statement's conclusion, Dick tossed Gar across the room, causing him to morph back into original form once he landed.

"Thank goodness cats always land on their feet." Garfield brushed himself off and coughed a small hairball out of his throat. "There is no need to throw me across the room, dude! I was just playing around; you could've hurt me!"

"Dick, calm down!" Victor yelled at Dick. "Not saying that he didn't deserve it," the cyborg glared angrily at his green friend before directing his attention back at Dick, "but you shouldn't throw him across the room; he's just a kid."

"Just a kid? He's nineteen-years-old, Victor. He isn't a 'kid' anymore; he needs to grow up and you can't just keep using that as an excuse for his bone-headed behavior."

"Dude!"

"If anyone needs me, you know where to find me." Dick announced while hobbling angrily out of the room; it really was a funny site to see, but everyone held in their laughter.

"What is wrong with him?" Kory asked, concerned. "He was not this moody when you all left the tower earlier, was he?"

"He's upset because our foes are becoming more threatening and he can't figure out why," Victor explained. "Also the fact that he isn't invincible seems to be an issue."

"None of us are invincible," Gar said rubbing the back of his neck - the part where Dick previously grabbed. "That doesn't give him the right to beat up on me."

Raven huffed from behind her book. "You totally deserved that; I'm with Dick on that one."

"Gee, thanks a lot Raven! Shouldn't you be with us on this? He's been acting like a total ass to you."

"There are no sides, Gar," Raven tried to explain. "I'm just trying to remain unbiased."

"As much as I hate to defend him when he acts like a Zarbnarf," Kory began, trying to cease the arguing, "Perhaps the recent chain of battles has weakened his self-esteem. We each have a specific role on this team and unlike us, Dick's role is not linked to genetics, race, or technology; it is linked to his mind. He probably feels like a failure."

"That actually makes a lot of sense, Kory," Victor nodded.

"I should probably go talk to him." Kory began to stand up.

"Don't you dare," Raven said while setting down her book and standing up. "He still owes you a major apology; I'll go. I have a feeling that it's his anger at me that he's deflecting onto all of you, anyway."

Kory nodded and watched Raven disappear behind the same doors as Dick had.

She turned her attention to the animal show playing on the television. When she turned to Garfield to ask him about it, he re-morphed back into a cat and attempted to crawl back into her lap.

"Don't even think about it," she glared at him before channeling all of her strength and throwing him into the side of the sofa with a single thump.

* * *

Raven knocked on the door to Dick's office.

"Door's open."

She opened the door slowly and announced her presence. "Hey, it's me."

He continued typing on the computer, not even turning around to acknowledge her.

"Okay, are we really going to keep doing this?"

Dick spun his chair around and stood up abruptly. Raven thought that he might have been walking towards her, but he proved her wrong as she watched him walk right past her and stop at the bookcase behind her.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Raven." He grabbed a book off the shelf and walked back to his computer station. "What is it that you needed?"

"How about you look at me first?"

Dick let out a frustrated sigh and turned his chair around. "Is this better for you?" He crossed his arms over his chest and began to tap his foot impatiently.

"Stop tapping your foot or I'll break that ankle, too," she said raising her arm out and pointing it towards his limb. At first, he glared at her, but then he backed down.

"Thank you."

"I'm listening."

"Don't even pretend to act like I'm not the reason you've been stomping around this tower for three weeks in a foul mood."

"I wasn't aware that I was pretending."

Raven removed her hood and mimicked Dick by crossing her arms as well.

"Will you please just tell me what I need to do or say in order to make things better between us? You're becoming unbearably irate; no one even wants to be around you…except Kory of course, but if you keep talking to her like you just did, she'll join our ranks soon enough."

"What I say to Kory or any other resident of this tower, is none of your business. So if that's all -"

"This is stupid, Dick; I'm sorry, but it is."

"You think it's stupid that I'm upset with you?" Dick asked incredulously. "As far as I'm concerned, any attempt you make to re-establish our personal relationship would be pointless."

Raven closed her eyes and took in a deep breath; this conversation was proving to be more frustrating than she had originally planned. She hated having to do things like this but she hated the thought of losing one of her only friends, even more.

"It may be easy for you to sever ties, but I can't," she said hoping that it would strike some kind of nerve. She learned a while ago that sometimes the only way to make him talk was to get him angry. "I won't give up; you know how persistent I can be."

"You told her she was suspended while I was out of town!"

"I thought that I was doing you a favor; I was playing the role of the "bad guy" so that you wouldn't have to. Either way, she got the message loud and clear and didn't even shed a tear over it. So my question to you is: why exactly are you upset about it?"

"You went behind my back; did you honestly think that it wouldn't bother me?"

"Dick, you didn't need to be the one to say it."

"Are you insinuating that I'm incapable of upholding my leadership duties?"

"Not at all, quite the opposite; Robin is a very capable leader. Right now though, she doesn't need Robin the leader; she needs Dick, her boyfriend. I was just trying to make things easier for you; that's all."

"Why are you so interested in my relationship working? It just seems like lately you've been doing a lot of butting in where you don't belong." He knew it was a rude thing to say, but perhaps that is what he was going for.

"I don't think you realize it, but yours and her emotions are so loud that they constantly overwhelm me; forgive me for trying to establish a little bit of order around here. I like to sleep and sometimes I can't, because our bedrooms are adjacent; I can hear your emotions through the wall! Since I can't just waltz in and absorb your emotions without you going bat-crazy, I have no choice but to try to fix things the old-fashioned way. She needs to start expressing her feelings openly again and in order for her to do that, you have to stop acting so stubborn."

"What do you mean by stubborn? I haven't been anything but -"

"This whole time you've wanted her to open up, but she's never been through anything like this, Dick; she doesn't know how to react. She doesn't know what is safe to tell you and what isn't! You need to stop telling yourself that you deserve her full disclosure because you don't; she doesn't owe anything to anyone. Don't you get that? She doesn't need someone to sit and talk about her feelings to. She needs someone that's going to be there at the end of it all with open arms - because she doesn't want to talk about it and she isn't going to for a while. It doesn't mean she doesn't trust you and it doesn't mean that she loves you any less. Just let her heal and then you'll get your answers." Raven took a deep breath before continuing. "Just take the trauma in your life and ask yourself how long you had to sit on it before you were ready to talk."

Dick registered everything that she was saying and as much as his pride wanted to disagree with her, he couldn't. He needed to approach this reasonably and not be a pig-head about it; he wasn't Bruce.

"You're right."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not going to repeat it again; you heard me the first time." He sighed and ran his hands through his ebony locks. "I never thought about it from that point-of-view before, but it makes sense. I don't know why I started getting so upset about it; I guess I just needed to feel in control – that's what it always boils down to."

He closed his eyes.

"I just don't want everyone thinking that my relationship with Kory has made me weak. I have to know that above everything else, I'm still a strong leader, an even stronger crime-fighter, and in control of my life."

"Why does it even matter?"

"It just does."

"No one is in control of their life."

"But I have to be or at least I have to be in control of the way this relationship affects my performance."

"Just tell me why?

"Raven, I have a feeling that you already know."

"I do; I just want to hear you admit it out loud to yourself – so that you can hear how stupid it sounds."

Dick paused a moment. How did this conversation spiral into a tell-all about his problems and obsessions? "Not going to happen; how did this conversation end up on the topic of my neurosis, anyway?"

"If you want my honest opinion, sometimes your emotions do get in the way of tasks, but there isn't anything wrong with that; it's what makes you human."

Dick nodded.

"I just don't understand you sometimes. You aren't always going to be in control of your life, but there are a few things that I can think of off the top of my head that you cancontrol; yet, you won't."

Dick raised his eyebrow and Raven pointed to his wrapped ankle.

"Would you like me to heal you now? Are you through being a stubborn jackass?"

Dick growled in the base of his throat; he disliked being called a 'stubborn jackass,' but if the shoe fits…

"Yes..."

"Okay, good." Raven said, making her way towards him.

"Just so you know, it's definitely more than a sprain."

"Okay." Raven un-wrapped the gauze that he used to wrap his foot and Dick winced at the contact. "It's extremely swollen. I can tell by this bruising that it's a break."

Dick nodded; he assumed that much.

Raven wrapped her hands around his swollen and bruised ankle. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, entering a mode of meditation.

"...Azarath Metrion Zynthos...Azarath Metrion Zynthos...Azarath Metrion Zynthos..."

Dick's pain slowly diffused and the swelling in his ankle gradually decreased. Raven opened her eyes to observe her handy work. "Good as new, well, except for the bruising. That's going to be there for a while."

"...thanks..."

Raven put her hood back on and made her way to the office door. "I'm going to head back to the common room. Are you coming?"

"I'll be there in a few; I have a few phone calls to make."

"Don't be too long, I can sense Garfield's hunger," were her final words as she exited out the door.

* * *

"I'm starving."

"Yeah, we know," Victor responded, "we heard you the first ten times."

"I'm super-hungry now though; way hungrier than I was when I said I was hungry the first time."

"That was only 5 minutes ago, Gar; get a hold of yourself."

"I can't; my stomach hurts," the changeling said, complaining once more.

"Azarath Metrion Zynthos!"

As soon as the words were spoken, pieces of black tape slapped across Garfield's mouth, muting him.

"That's better," Raven said. "I was getting sick of his voice."

"Guys, I just wanted to apolo -" Dick walked through the door and stopped mid-sentence. "What happened to him?" he asked while pointing in the green changeling's direction.

"Do you even have to ask?"

"Yeah, I guess not," Dick rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "About how I acted earlier – I shouldn't have been such an ass. I guess I owe you all an apology." He made his way across the room to stand in front of Garfield. "Except for you."

Gar mumbled something against the tape and Dick ripped it off quickly. "AHHHHHH! That hurt!"

"Consider it payback," he smirked. "Don't do it again."

"Sir, yes sir!" Gar stood at attention and emphasized his statement with a salute.

Dick narrowed his eyes at him before turning to face the rest of his teammates.

"I need to call a quick Titans meeting; there are a few things that I need to discuss with all of you."

"Dude, can we please eat first? If I don't eat something soon, my stomach's going to implode."

Dick raised his eyebrow at him. "I didn't think that you would need my permission to eat, but yeah sure, go ahead."

Raven cleared her throat before speaking. "We're going to need to go out to eat because we don't have any food – anything edible at least."

"That's fine."

Dick honestly didn't care where they went to eat and decided to let them figure it out amongst themselves. He looked around the room and noticed that Kory was absent. "Where's Kory?"

"She's changing into her uniform; she said something about not wanting to wear civilian clothes while everyone else was in costume."

Dick nodded. "I'll go get her; when I return, we leave. Decide where we're going – together; we aren't going to waste all night arguing about what we eat."

"Please don't take any 'detours'." Garfield called out to Dick's retreating figure. "And by detour I mean se-"

"He knows – we know – what you mean." Raven said, officially shutting him up.

He left the room before the arguing began and made his way to his bedroom. He stopped from entering the door, allowed himself a moment of silence, and thought before going in. He reflected on Raven's statement from earlier – she was right. This was Kory's way of dealing and while he, too, was having to heal from this situation, being mean to her wasn't going to help either of them. He opened the bedroom door quietly and saw that she was standing at the closet getting dressed. He thought about going along with his original plan of sneaking up on her, but the sight of her stepping into her lavender mini-skirt completely enamored him.

When was the last time that they had sex? It had to have been on their anniversary. He watched her step into her boots and then prop each leg up in order to glide the boot's material up her thigh. He had been putting his hormones on hold so that he didn't push her into anything that she wasn't ready to do, but this display definitely had them rushing back. When she finished, she turned around and set her gaze onto him.

"I knew you were in here. I was actually waiting for you to try and sneak up on me; had a Tamaranean martial arts move planned and everything." She used both of her hands to fluff out her hair before walked up to him.

"Koriand'r, you tease," he said wondering if she could sense his arousal.

"You are calling me by my full name now?

"Why not? You called me Richard earlier."

"That is because you were acting like one; I figured that it was appropriate," she said matter-of-factly, crossing her arms over her chest to indicate that she was not happy with him.

Dick held in the sudden burst of laughter, but he couldn't contain the snort.

Kory narrowed her eyes at his reaction. "I am glad you think that your name – also being the name of an insult based on a body part – is humorous."

"Kory, it isn't that," he said, still laughing. "It's just...oh, nevermind."

"No, you must tell me now."

He had gone in with the intention of apologizing; he even had a foolproof plan – to kiss her ass until she forgave him. However, this moment was too good to pass up; he really couldn't help himself.

"Kory, I'm really sorry for acting like a Richard," he chortled before he could even finish the word, 'earlier.'

She glared at him. "Apology not accepted."

He eased up on his laughing when he saw that she wasn't amused at all. "Okay...okay... I'm sorry."

"Richard is not an insult; I have been misinformed." She said, finally catching on.

"No, it isn't; Dick is though. When Garfield used to make fun of me about my name, he was talking about Dick – not Richard."

She glared at him again.

"Have I ever told you how pretty you are?" he asked with a smile, hoping that his smile would win her over.

It didn't.

"Kory, I really am sorry about earlier, I shouldn't have talked to you like that; I know you were just trying to help."

Kory brushed passed him and walked out the door.

"Okay, hold on!" Dick jogged after her and grabbed her arm. "Stop, please."

"Our friends are waiting on us to go and eat; I do not want to keep them waiting."

"They can wait a few more minutes."

"Do not worry; I am not mad, slightly embarrassed, but not mad."

"Well don't be; I shouldn't have made fun of you, I'm sorry."

Within a split second, Kory had her arms wrapped around Dick in a massive hug.

"So you aren't mad at me?" he forced out the words. Her hug had knocked all of the air out of his lungs but he didn't want to tell her to let go, so he just endured it.

"Dick, I could never be mad at you for too long," she released her hold on him and looked him in the eye. "You know that."

Dick smiled at her and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "I really want to kiss you, but to be honest – after watching you get dressed- I don't think I'd be able to stop if I got started." He moved his hands to her shoulder. "And if we leave Gar in there with Raven much longer, I won't be able to guarantee his safety."

"I agree. When I left the room, he had said that he was hungry seven times."

Dick wrapped his arm around her waist and walked into the common room.

"FINALLY! Can we please go now?"

"Did you decide where to go?" Dick asked.

"Yeah, we are going to La Belle Fille."

* * *

Kory watched as all of her friends chatted with one another and laughed. She looked to the two friends sitting beside her. On her right, Raven was engaged in conversation with Dick and Victor who sat on opposite sides of the booth. In uniform, she and Dick rarely sat together; he did not want the public to think they were dating. To her left, Garfield – determined to be the first one to make her smile again – was currently doing weird things with his eating utensils.

"Goldie, you okay? You look a little out of it?" Victor asked – his calm voice laced with concern.

She nodded her head. "I am fine."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chad standing at their booth, armed with an order pad and a killer smile.

"Hey guys! How's business?"

Kory watched as all of her friends, except Dick, engaged with him cheerfully and filled him in on things that had happened since they'd seem him last. She looked over to Dick and recognized his expression; he was feigning interest. She didn't understand why Earthlings pretended to care about things and conversations. Why not be upfront; would that not lead to a happier existence? Kory stopped her train of thought – who was she to lecture on the benefits of honesty?

"And Starfire?"

Kory's ears perked up at the mention of her name and turned her head towards the source. "Yes?"

"How are you?"

"Oh, I am fine." Kory looked down at her hands that lain in her lap; she started to anxiously ring them together.

"That's good. I haven't seen you in a while; you never come by and see me anymore."

"I have not really left the tower much lately." She looked up from her lap and met Dick's gaze. It was very brief and she wasn't even sure that Chad or any of the Titans even noticed, but he saw it and he wanted answers.

"Well now that we've caught up, what can I get everyone to drink?"

Kory quickly mumbled water and looked back down at her hands. When he finally left, she looked back up and a wave of nausea rolled over her body.

"Excuse me friends, I have to go to the bathroom!" She shoved Garfield out of the bench with too much strength, causing him to fly through the air. He turned into a bird so that he wouldn't cause any damage and flew back to the table.

"Whoa, dude!" he morphed back into his normal body. "She shoved me!"

Raven looked to Dick who just shrugged in confusion. "I'll go see what's going on."

"Kory, are you okay?" Raven walked into the bathroom and headed to the stall that the crying was coming from and gently pushed it open. "Kory?"

"Yes, Raven," she sniffed and wiped the tears away from her face. "I am fine; I do not know what came over me all of a sudden."

"You don't have to lie to me, Kory. I know."

"I do not know what you are talking about, Raven," Kory said, while turning her head away from her.

"You're such a bad liar; I don't know how you have Dick buying it all – I guess it's true what they say about love being blind."

Kory looked at her blankly in an attempt to throw her off.

"How did you find out?" Kory gulped.

Raven gave her a look that screamed, "Are you seriously asking me this?" which left Kory slightly embarrassed for even lying in the first place.

"...and Dick doesn't know?"

"No. I don't see how, though. He's usually very good at picking up on behavior."

Kory sighed in relief. "X'hal."

"He's worried about you, though. Maybe you should tell him."

"NO!" She yelled on accident.

"I mean no," she started again in a lower voice. "I cannot; I am afraid that he would do something that he would deeply regret. You must not inform him either, please."

"And he's not going to try to do it when he eventually finds out? Because you know he will – the truth always comes out. In fact, isn't that what you always used to say? 'Lying only hurts others because the truth always finds its way to the surface'?"

Kory remained silent, not knowing how to respond.

"I think I liked you better when you didn't know how to lie."

Raven's comment caused Kory to frown_**.**_ "Kory, I was being sarcastic; I didn't mean to upset you."

Kory looked up at Raven. "I was not frowning because you said it; I was frowning because I agree with you."

"Then why continue to do it?"

"I do not know! Sometimes I think about all the things I have said and done recently and I do not recognize myself."

"Kory," Raven placed her hand on her friend's shoulder to show moral support, "you have been through a traumatic event; of course you are going to come out of things a little bit differently. Just take it from me – someone who knows – that no matter how much a situation can change you, you can always find your way back."

"Thank you, Raven."

"Let me teleport you back to the tower and I'll just tell the others that you weren't feeling well and needed to go home."

Kory's tear-filled eyes widened with gratitude. "Would you? Oh thank you, I am much appreciative. I would give you a hug right now, but -"

"Please don't."

"...yeah...okay..."

"Azarath Metrion Zynthos!"

A black hole suddenly appeared on the wall of the bathroom. "Just walk through that and it'll take you straight to my bedroom," Raven placed her hand on the bathroom door to push it open. "And don't touch anything."

* * *

"Where's Starfire?" Dick asked Raven as she slid into the booth, pushing Garfield aside.

"She wasn't feeling well, so I sent her home."

"Is she okay?" His voice croaked.

"Yeah, she was just throwing up," Raven lied. "I checked her out; she'll be fine."

"Dude! Maybe she's pregnant. Pregnant women throw up, right?" He looked to Victor for confirmation.

Dick rolled his eyes, "Stop being stupid, Beast Boy; Starfire isn't pregnant."

"You never know! She could be!" Garfield decided to drag it out a little longer. "In a few months, there could be little baby Robins running around."

"Shut up, Beast Boy," he demanded through gritted teeth, hoping that no one in the restaurant heard his idiotic little comment.

"Or who says it's even yours, Casanova? Maybe it's mine," he said laughing in his seat while Dick nearly had smoke exuding from his ears. "Can you imagine a tower full of baby beast boys?"

"Shut the fuck up Beast Boy before I punch you in the face!" Dick spat out angrily trying to reach across the table. Victor grabbed him and shoved him back down into his seat.

"Calm down, man. You're gonna create a scene – this is a nice place; I don't want get kicked out." Victor said to Dick, pressing him to the back on the booth.

"And Beast Boy, stop asking tasteless questions," Victor looked to Garfield and gave him a "don't piss him off anymore" look.

"Okay, I don't know what I said that was soooooo wrong, but whatever; I'm sorry."

Victor was about to respond when Raven held up her hand volunteering to speak.

"Beast Boy, you don't see that, given the recent chain of events, joking that Starfire could be pregnant from someone other than her boyfriend could be considered tasteless?"

Dick cringed upon hearing the statement. One, she announced that Starfire was Robin's girlfriend and two, the sheer thought of her being pregnant with someone else's child was enough to make him want to pull out his beautiful hair.

A look of realization poured onto Garfield's face, "Oh dude, man; I totally didn't mean it like that!"

Dick waved it off, "it's fine; let's just please stop talking about it before_**I**_start throwing up in the bathroom."

"TITANS! MY FAVORITE CUSTOMERS!" The Titans all turned their heads and attention to the restaurant's robust owner. "How are you this evening? Just finish kicking crime in the butt, eh?"

"You could say that, Pierre," Dick said as he reached out to shake his hand.

"Hey, where is the pretty red-head? Tell her that we have her bike here and that she needs to come and get it; it's taking up storage space."

Dick tried not to look utterly confused as he processed the statement. Why would she need a bicycle? Had she ridden to town on a bicycle the night of their argument? Had she come to the restaurant first? It made sense – she would feel comfortable enough to sit down and collect her thoughts here. Why wouldn't she have told him that she came here first? He needed to talk to Kory – immediately.

"Pierre, I must get going now; it was good to see you." Dick said as he slid out of the booth. "Just leave the bike out back and Cyborg will pick it up on his way out."

"It was good to see you again, Robin, be sure you come back."

"You know I will," Dick said over his shoulder, before running out of the restaurant's entrance.

* * *

When he got back to the tower, Kory was in the common room lying down on the sofa in a pile of tissues. He carefully unclasped his cape and laid it on the back of the couch.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I am fine now."

He walked over to the sofa and stood in front of her. "Kory, can I ask you something?"

She sniffled as she sat up straight. "Sure Dick."

Dick took a deep breath and removed his mask before asking; he wanted her to be able to look into his eyes. "The person that raped you, did you know them?" He took a seat beside her on the sofa and waited for her answer. He began to prepare himself for the worst. "Please don't worry about me getting upset; I won't. I'll just trust that you had a good reason for not telling me and I will accept it."

Kory thought deep and hard about the question he'd asked; obviously, he had caught on to her behavior in the restaurant earlier. Raven couldn't have mentioned anything to him because she promised that she wouldn't. She knew that if there were ever a time to give full-disclosure, now would be it.

"No."

Dick shook his head in surprise. "No?"

She wanted to wince, but resisted knowing that her facial expressions always gave her away – she'd gotten rather good at hiding them. Instead, she opted for the oblivious approach. "What would give you that idea, Dick?"

"You were acting strange at the restaurant…"

"I do not know who it was."

"Then why was your bike left at the restaurant? What are you trying to hide from me?" Dick ran his fingers through his hair in visible frustration. He'd known that this conversation wasn't going to be easy, but getting information from her seemed more difficult than pulling teeth.

As for Kory, she was unprepared for that question. Her eyes widened in slight fear and she immediately wanted to curse at the owner for telling Dick about her bike; as far as she was concerned, they could have thrown the damned thing away.

"Nothing," Kory offered defensively. "I did go to the La Belle Fille that night to see Chad, but he was still working. He introduced me to one of his friends that was sitting at the bar and we walked over to McCauley's Pub together. I just left my bicycle at the restaurant."

A slight wave of guilt washed over her; it wasn't a _complete_ lie. She did know him – she just didn't want Dick to know about it. She told herself that it was because she knew he would do something he would regret – something terrible – but admittedly, she realized that it was probably more over fear that he would leave her once he found out the truth; she couldn't begin to imagine her life without him in it.

Dick nodded against his hand as he rested it underneath his chin.

"So, this guy...Chad's friend," he said Chad with venom in his voice, "Is he -"

"No."

Dick raised his eyebrows at her curt answer and urged her to elaborate a little more with her story. He wasn't stupid, he knew there was something shifty about her story – but why would she lie? Why would she even need to?

"When I got to the bar, I started talking to Ken and his friend met up with other people."

"Then why were you crying when I came home? Why did you freak out at the restaurant?" Dick asked, desperate for a semblance of an explanation that he could believe.

"I have not been there since…that night...it brought back memories." A single tear rolled down her cheek and Kory started wringing her hands together in her lap, causing Dick's face to soften. "I cannot help it; the emotions are very overwhelming."

"I didn't mean to put any pressure on you; I just had to ask." Dick surrendered his line of questioning, seemingly satisfied with her answer. However, not to Kory's knowledge, he was far from pleased. "I didn't realize that you stopped in to _chat_ with Chad on a regular basis."

"I have not been in a long while."

"But you have done it?"

"Dick, do not be angry; I only stopped in occasionally, mostly after doing my downtown shopping. I never meant anything by the visits; I only say, 'hello'."

"I'm not angry, just jealous," Dick admitted. "There's just something about him, but you don't have a problem with it – I'm just trying to protect you."

"Dick, I am sorry that you have been jealous; I will never speak with him again." She meant it. Kory _never_ wanted to see or speak to Chad again.

"No, you shouldn't have to do that; I'll get over it."

Kory realized that she needed to change the subject and began searching her brain on how to do so. One thing she had learned about the people of Earth was their inability to resist temptation; although Dick possessed an impregnable will, it was very hard for him to resist sex.

"Dick, you know you have nothing to worry about, right?"

Kory bit her lower lip innocently and shifted on the sofa to face him.

"Yeah, I know," he said not paying any attention to Kory's attempts at seduction. "I trust you, Kory."

Deciding to cut the subtleties, she climbed onto him and straddled his lap. She fingered the outline that his biceps created against the fabric of his uniform. "Your muscles are so defined in this uniform."

Dick's initial look of confusion faded as arousal took its place; he finally caught on to her plan. "That's the word on the street."

"Oh really, is that what Flamebird always says?" She wiggled on his lap, adjusting herself.

Her statement induced a nervous laugh from his lips. "You know about her, huh?"

"I have seen the letters."

"She's got nothing on you."

"Is that so?" Kory leaned in and whispered into his ear.

"Oh, it's true," he caught on and placed his hands on her hips. "No one does."

She repositioned her face, resting her lips within a few inches of his.

It only took a second for Dick to take initiative; he captured her lips passionately and strengthened the grip that he had on her hips. She moaned against his mouth, initially stunned by the amount of desperation that he put behind it, but pleased at the same time. Inserting her tongue and melding it with his, she allowed herself to sink deeper into the kiss.

Dick didn't waste any time; as soon as she brought her tongue into the equation, his hands found their way up to her gorget and unlatched it, causing a clang as it collided with the tower floor. His lips left hers and began to attack the newly unconcealed skin.

Kory threw back her head, allowing Dick more access to her neck and a moan escaped her lips as he slipped his hands under her shirt, fondling her aroused breasts. She reached down, located and unsnapped the latch to his utility belt and tossed it to the side. Her hands grazed the waistband of his tights and were about to start pulling them down when Dick's hands ceased the process.

"Are...you sure...about...this?" he asked between fervent kisses, "because...if not...I...have...to stop...now..."

"Yes," she responded hungrily, shooing his hands out of way and resuming her task of getting his tights off as quickly as possible. "Why does your uniform have to be so difficult?"

His lips and tongue re-took hers as he helped her pull his tights down far enough to expose his erect penis. He fingered the hem of her top and pulled it up over her breasts. "God, you're amazing," he said exasperatedly as he stopped briefly to get a look at the woman straddling his lap.

Kory stuck her hands underneath his shirt and grasped his pectorals in the palms of her hands. "I can't wait any longer."

Dick placed one hand on Kory's hip while the other found its way underneath her skirt. When his hand grazed over her panties, he felt her body shudder with lust, a lust that was begging to be relieved. He moved her panties to the side and tested her arousal by sliding two of his digits into her. Not wanting to deny her – or himself – any longer, he lifted her up and positioned his penis underneath.

Kory released a loud gasp that matched the volume of his moan when he drove her body on top of his aggressively and re-took his hold on her hips. "Oh God, that feels good," Dick commented before devouring her nipples. She allowed herself a few seconds to bask in the ecstasy that came from him being all the way inside of her. It was an amazing feeling – one that almost equaled the feeling she'd receive at the end of the act. Impatiently, Dick supported Kory's back and quickly flipped her around and laid her back down on the sofa.

There was nothing gentle about this sexual encounter, but based on Kory's reaction, there didn't need to be; she wasn't in the mood for gentle, loving sex and neither was he. He dove all the way into her, allowing her to revel once more before taking care of business. His initial thrusts were far from slow; they started out urgent and quickened as he went continued. It had been a while since he and Kory had sex; at this pace, he'd finish in the next minute or so. He didn't care though, he wasn't in this to break a record; he needed a release.

She had been so aroused, that it didn't take long for her to achieve an orgasm. "X'hal," she cried out as she succumbed to the waves of pleasure rushing through her body; Kory always seemed to climax before Dick, but he was never too far behind; she hoped that this time would be no exception.

After feeling her walls tighten around him, he picked up his pace – yet again – and felt his orgasm begin to surface. "I feel it coming." He warned, and she began to move her hips with him in order to aid in the process. "Oh God, here it-" he crashed his lips onto hers and moaned loudly against them as he poured everything that had been built up inside of him for a month into her. "Fuck," he cursed as he collapsed on top of her, utterly exhausted. He didn't even bother to pull out of her yet; which she didn't mind, she actually liked the feeling.

"What're you thinking about?" Dick asked, finally his sliding his body off hers.

"Nothing, really," she looked up and watched him pull up his tights and tuck his shirt into them. "Just how amazing that was and about how pissed Victor would be if he ever found out that we had sex on his couch."

Dick raised his eyebrow at her. "You promise?"

"Well, the Victor part was thrown in for laughs, but I was serious about the other - why? Was it not for you?" She started to worry.

"Oh, no, it was great for me...more than great...it was...extraordinary," he rambled, "I was just a little worried that I got too rough with you; we haven't had sex in a while and well... I didn't..."

"You are doing the rambling."

"Yeah," he wiped the sweat off the back of his neck, "sorry."

Kory pulled her top back down over her breasts and adjusted her panties. "I enjoyed it as well." She said standing up from the sofa as well and stood in front of him. "Thank you very much," she said, beginning to think about her lies and how much she loved and cared about his well-being; lying to him was a very selfish move on her part and she knew he deserved better. Tears started to spring into her eyes, causing her to choke on her words. "It was...a very enjoyable... experience."

"Whoa! Please don't cry," he took hold of her shoulders and held her back in order to read her facial expressions. "Did I do something wrong?" She violently shook her head. "Did I say something?" She shook her head a second time.

"Going to that restaurant...just resurfaced...so much…"

"It's going to be okay." He took her into an embrace and combed the back of her hair with his fingers.

"I am so sorry, Dick. I am so sorry for everything."

Dick knew that something wasn't right and hoped that the sex hadn't triggered anything that didn't need to be; he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he had. While she was claiming that Chad - or whoever his shitty friend was - had nothing to do with it, he knew otherwise. He was determined to solve the situation, but right now definitely wasn't the time to bring it back up. "The others are going to be here soon; would you like me to carry you to the bedroom or do you want to stay and be present for the Titans briefing."

"I would like...to stay...if you don't mind...I can get...my emotions under control...I promise."

"No problem, Kor. Do you want me to put your gorget back on?"

"Would you?" she sniffed, finally getting her crying under control.

"Sure." He picked her gorget up off the floor and took note at how surprisingly heavy it was. "How can you stand wearing this around your neck all the time?" He gently brushed her hair aside and latched the accessory around her golden neck.

"It is made from Tamaranean metals. I've been wearing one since the first day of training on Okaara; I suppose I just grew accustomed to it. Can I comment on something totally off the subject?"

"Sure."

"On Tamaran, our alcoholic beverages make us carefree and jovial, but on Earth, the alcoholic beverages did not produce the same effect."

"Go on."

"Not only was it an opposite effect, it was able to make me so depressed that I apparently lost my strength and high tolerance to pain as well – which has never happened to me before. Usually my emotions only affect my flight and my bolts, but this time they affected my Tamaranean genetics."

"Honestly, Kory, the effect that you get from alcohol depends on the state of mind that you're in before drinking it. For example, if you started drinking it while you were sad, then drinking made you even _sadder_, and that's probably why you lost your powers."

Kory began to cry again, "it _is_ my fault then."

"No, nothing is your fault; don't say that."

"Have I done something wrong? Why would he want to do this to me?"

"Kory, listen to me; you're perfect. I can't understand why anyone would do that to you either, but you have to believe me when I say that whoever did, will pay. Even if you never remember who it was, if it isn't by the hands of the Titans, or me then he will get his punishment somewhere else. You can't live your life asking why certain things happen, trust me – as much as it sucks, you just have to accept them and move on."

Kory nodded and started to wipe the tears off her cheek before Dick stopped her. "That's not me saying that you should get over it now, or tomorrow, or even next week," he cupped her face in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe her tears away. "That's just me saying to take all the time that you need to heal, but just don't allow yourself to focus on the things that you can't control."

"Thank you, Dick."

"I hear the Titans com-"

"Oh man, dudes! You both missed an awesome meal and we got it for free!"

"Congratulations," Dick said, paying no mind to Garfield's comment. "Now that you are all here, I need to call a quick Titans meeting."

"Can it wait until -?"

"No, it's going to happen right now."

Dick waved his hand toward the sofa indicting that everyone should take a seat.

"So, I will cut right to the chase because I don't want to waste anyone's time; I have done a little re-organizing."

"What do you mean by 'a little reorganizing'?" Raven asked.

"With Kory sitting out of battle until she gets better – which we really don't know how long that will take– we need a new game plan, just like Victor suggested."

"Again, what do you mean by 'a little reorganizing'?"

"Raven, it means that I have made a couple of new permanent additions to our team."


	11. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer: **See Prologue

**Updated May 2013**

* * *

**.****:. Bound To You.:.**

Chapter 10

* * *

"Again, what do you mean by, 'a little reorganizing'?"

"It means, Raven, that I have made a couple of new permanent additions to our team..."

* * *

_Dick tapped a familiar phone number into his cell phone and set it on the desk, remembering to press the button for speaker. Underneath the desk, on both hands, his middle and index fingers wrapped around each other for good luck – he was never really one for superstition, but why not try to curve fate as much as possible. __The communicator rang a third time before a voice answered on the other end causing Dick, who had been holding his breath, to sigh with relief._

"_Calling to check up on me so soon?" the man on the other end of the line asked sarcastically. "I thought that she'd wait at least a few more weeks to tell you."_

"_Roy, what are you talking about?" Dick raised his eyebrow in confusion trying to remember the last time he'd talked to him – Kory's birthday. His mask hid narrowed eyes, not that Roy could see anything. _"_Did something happen at the party?" _

"_Nah man, I'm just fucking with ya," Roy defended himself quickly against Dick's growling tone."It's crazy how you can go from zero to bat-mode in a split-second; I'll never get used it."_

"_I didn't call for mind-games." he heard Roy try to get a word in, but quickly started another sentence; he wanted to get this over with – he couldn't help but feel like Bruce when he did things like this. _"_Are you working on anything right now?" After hearing himself ask the question, he decided that he wasn't at all satisfied with the delivery. "Any cases that require your full attention?"_

"_No, why? Thinking of taking a break and coming out here for a change?" Roy was curious; Dick could hear it in his tone. Intrigue - he could definitely work with that._

"_Of course not, I was thinking that maybe you could relocate here; become a member of Titans East again?" Dick tried to remove any sign of desperation from his question. He wouldn't have anyone – friend or not – thinking that he was needy._

"_Are you sure you want me, Dick? W__hat happened to, 'Not a chance, Speedy, I can't trust Starfire around you'?"_

_Dick smiled. "I'm pretty sure that those words never came out of my mouth. So, what's your answer? It's kind of urgent."_

"_Yeah man, I could be a full-time Titan again; I don't have anything else going on. All I'll need to do is find a babysitter."_

"_Kory can watch Lian – at least for now. She's kind of taking a hiatus from the team."_

"_Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?"_

"_It's a long story," Dick responded honestly. "I'll tell you about it when you get here."_

"_Alright."_

"_Now, there's one more thing..." Dick started hesitantly; he also wanted to recruit one more person and he hoped that it wouldn't present any problems. "I want to ask Donna to come back, too. I don't know how I'd even be able to talk her into it, but if she were to say yes, would you be cool with that?"_

"_I can get you Donna."_

_Now it was Dick's turned to be intrigued. "I didn't know that you two were back on talking terms."_

"_Maybe I have a few tricks up my sleeves that you don't know about, boy wonder." Roy playfully teased Dick's natural curiosity. "So when do you need me, or should I say us, there?"_

"_Can you be here in two days?"_

* * *

"You don't think we should've discussed this first? As a team?" Raven expressed her disapproval. "I don't have a problem with Speedy/Arsenal - whatever he is going by this week, and I am sure Donna is great, but you just moved two new people into this tower and we aren't hearing about it until it's a done deal."

"Three, technically. I told you after we finished off Dr. Light that I would handle the situation and that's what I did." Dick responded matter-of-factly, not seeing any error in his actions; he was the leader, afterall. "Does anyone else have an issue with the way I've handled things?"

The remaining Titans shook their heads. Dick shot Raven a glance as if to say, 'see, you are the only one around here with a problem.'

Raven shrugged and let it go; expressing her point-of-view obviously wasn't going to change anything.

"Good. Now that that's settled -"

"Dick...if I may...ask a question, please?" Kory's voice was so timid that Dick had almost not even heard her at all.

"Sure, Kory, go ahead."

"While we all trust your decisions and your leadership, perhaps it would make everyone a little more comfortable if we knew...exactly who... this Donna person is."

Dick nodded and obliged. "When I was younger, before I split with Bruce and formed this team, me and some of my sidekick friends – Roy and Donna included–formed the first Teen Titans group. We just wanted to see if we could make an impact on the world outside the shadows of our mentors and of course it wasn't very successful because we were only 13. Donna was Wonder Girl. She now goes by the name of Troia."

"May I also inquire why we are bringing in the new editions?"

"Kory, with you taking some time off, we need the extra help." Dick watched Kory's face fall at the news and instantly knew that she was blaming herself for everything. He walked over to her and lifted her chin up with his index finger. "Don't you for one second feel bad about any of this." The statement elicited a nod from her and he followed it up with a kiss on her forehead.

"Any more questions?"

"So this Donna chick; is she like, super hot or what?"

Normally, Dick would be annoyed by Garfield's tasteless comments and total disregard to social norms, but tonight, he was in an extraordinarily good mood. He hadn't seen Donna in years and was very much looking forward to seeing Roy again, also. The three of them had been friends for so long that it was going to be nice to have them living under the same roof as his new Titans family. He allowed himself to laugh at Garfield's comment. "Gar, buddy, you are more than welcome to try, but I have to say, I think she's out of your league. Now, if that's all, I'm going to bed; It's been a long day." And with that, Dick wrapped his arm around Kory's waist and guided them both towards the bedrooms.

* * *

The next two days flew by fast. The Titans spent them preparing for the two new roommates. Victor and Kory, who was just excited to have something productive to do, worked on getting the bedrooms ready while Dick worked on the paperwork. Raven and Garfield seemed to make themselves "invisible" to get out of doing any work.

Amongst all the excitement over the new arrivals, Dick noticed a behavioral change within Kory – one he didn't particularly want to see. She hadn't been flying around the tower and if he wasn't mistaken, she'd been crying herself to sleep. Depression was normal, but he didn't know what exactly had triggered it this time.

"Dick?" Kory's soft voice asked from his office doorway.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Your friends have arrived."

Kory's announcement caused Dick to jump up out of his seat and walk over to her. "Where are they?"

"If I am not mistaken, they are still on the roof, talking to the others."

"Well let's go then." Dick took Kory's hand in his as they walked up to the roof. As soon as he got there, a raven-haired woman screamed his name and crushed him into a hug.

"Oh my God, it's been too long!" She said into his ear, before pulling out of the embrace. "You've gotten taller?"

"Good to see you again, Donna." Dick smiled at her. "And yeah, I did."

To Dick's side, Kory stood, wondering why the woman gave him such an energetic embrace. Dick had mentioned Donna's name on a few occasions, but she had never met her. In Kory's mind, Donna seemed nice enough - not very threatening. However, she wasn't particularly in the mood to meet and greet.

"Donna, this is Kory." Dick used hand motions to emphasize the introduction. "Kory...Donna."

"Kory, I've heard SO much about you!" Donna wrapped Kory into a hug. "I feel like I already know you."

"You have?"

"Of course, silly. Dick talks about you constantly." When the hug ended, Kory felt relieved when she saw Donna's genuine smile. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that Dick had walked over to greet Roy. "Seriously, Kory, it's a pleasure to meet you; only a remarkable woman would be able to capture Dick's heart like you have." Kory forced a smile on her face; she didn't want Donna to think that she didn't like her.

"I am sorry that I am not as cheerful as usual; I have not been feeling like myself lately. But, I am extremely glad to have you here. I know that we will be great friends!"

"I'm sure we will."

"I'm sure we will too, pretty lady," Garfield strolled up and stood beside Kory. "Garfield Logan, at your service." He took Donna's hand to shake it but instead, ran his lips across the backside of her hand.

"You must be Beast Bo-"

"I'm no boy, as far as you're concerned, I'm Beast Man." He flexed his muscles and Donna let out a laugh.

"Trust me Garfield," Roy said as he, Victor and Dick – who was carrying Lian, Roy's daughter – stepped up behind Donna, "you're no man, yet."

"Daddy! He's gween!" Lian said pointing at Garfield.

Roy took the wriggling Lian out of Dick's arms and set her on the ground. "Yes. He is green." Turning to the others, he explained, "she's learning colors."

"She is so cute Roy," Kory said.

"Well thank you miss Kory," Roy said walking up beside her and giving her a flirty wink. "You're not looking too bad yourself."

Dick cleared his throat. "Don't make me regret this, Roy."

"Oh, calm down pigeon. You know I'm just playing with you." He said, switching his attention to Dick.

Garfield dropped his jaw when he saw Dick's reaction to Roy hitting on Kory. "How come when he hits on Kory, he gets a warning, but when I do it, I get thrown across the room?"

* * *

Kory liked Donna; she geniunely friendly, but she couldn't help but feel slightly irked that she was there in the first place. After the meet and great with his friends, Dick had retired back into his office in order to give the new Titans time to settle into their living quarters. Now, Kory was standing in the doorway of his office, watching Dick diligently fill out paperwork while listening to the news feed that appeared on giant overhead computer screen.

"Dick, I have to admit to you that I have the feelings of jealousy."

He stopped his work, muted the news feed and turned around to face her.

"Kory, what do you mean?"

She walked toward him slowly while ringing her hands together nervously.

"I like Donna a lot, but –"

Dick interrupted her. "Kory, it isn't like that between Donna and I," he said, hoping that he didn't sound too flustered. "The affection she and I have isn't the same as ours." He placed his hands on her shoulders to provide reassurance.

"It is not the love between you two that makes me jealous," Kory dropped her head to avoid his eyes. "I am afraid that I am slowly being phased out and I fear that I will never be able to regain the trust of the team."

"Kor, you're a permanent - and very important - member of this team. No one has stopped trusting you, we all just want you to get better. You're one of the strongest women that I know and you have to know that you'd be impossible to replace."

Kory stopped listening to him and unintentionally shifted her attention to the news feed.

"...in fact that is why I wanted her to come in the first place..."

"Dick..."

"...I knew you two would make good friends..."

"No, Dick. Look," she pointed to the computer screen and caused him to stop rambling. "Stassney came out of his coma."

He strained his neck to look behind him and see exactly what it was that Kory was pointing at. Stassney Black, had indeed, woken up from his coma.

"That's great news!" Dick rushed by to the computer and began typing something into the keyboard. "Not just great news...amazing news!"

"Dick, it is very great news. But I just, uhm, remembered that I have something that I need to do. Talk to you later okay?"

He offered no verbal response, only a wave of his hand; he was already engrossed in the news of Stassney's recovery.

Kory jogged down the hallway and ducked into her and Dick's bedroom. If she could talk to him, perhaps she could help smooth things over for the Titans; maybe it would help her team to trust her again. She walked to the closet and began fishing around for something to wear. Getting frustrated, she decided to take on a different approach and started to toss pieces of clothing out of the closet and onto the bed, weeding them out one by one.

_**Too exposing. Too colorful. Too old. Too conservative. Too Dressy. UGH!**_

Someone knocked on the door, in turn knocked Kory out of her clothing "trance" and caused her to look around the bedroom.

A second round of knocks came, this time a little louder.

"Yes?" Kory called impatiently toward the door.

"Hi, it's Donna. I was hoping that we could talk some more."

Kory stopped in her tracks. She obviously didn't want to ignore Donna, but she was a girl on a mission.

"Kory?"

Kory shook her head, snapping back into reality.

"Yes, you may enter."

Once Kory heard the door slide open, she directed her attention toward it.

"Please excuse the mess that I have made in here."

Donna just laughed light-heartedly and smiled. "It's okay, I'm a girl; I think we've all had these moments."

Kory blushed out of habit and responded, "yeah, I was simply trying to find something to wear and I realize now that I hate all of my clothing."

"You do know what this means, right?"

"What?" Kory asked, cocking her head to the side.

"What do you say we do a little shopping?" Donna asked with a sly smile and a wink. "I'm sure you could coerce Dick into giving you some shopping money and this would give us time to do a little girl bonding. We could invite Raven, too."

Kory looked behind her at the pile of clothes laying across the bed and the floor; she didn't want to dawdle and she _definitely _didn't want someone talking to Stassney before she got the chance to apologize and clear her name, but just as any situation calls for, she needed a perfect outfit. And said perfect outfit wasn't presenting itself in her closet. What difference would a few hours make? "I would love to do the shopping with you, Donna. Let us go find Raven."

Kory contemplated whether or not she should hastily shove all the clothes back into the closet before deciding against it. Her and Donna walked out of the room and headed down the hall to find Raven before embarking on their shopping journey.

* * *

"Knock, knock, Dickie."

Dick groaned, but still ushered in his annoying guest. "Come in, Roy."

Dick ran his hand through his hair and stood up from his chair.

"Didn't mean to interrupt anything important. Lian's taking a nap and Donna went off to do...girl bonding...or something like that... anyway."

"No, it's fine. I needed to take a break. What's up?"

"Nothing, really. Just thought that maybe you'd wanna talk a little bit, one-on-one."

"Roy, is everything okay with you?"

"Me? More like you! Come on man, what's the deal?"

Dick coughed nervously. "I don't know what you mean – "

"Yes you do. What's the deal with you and Kory? Why is she taking time off?

Dick knew that this reunion was too good to be true; here Roy was, being nosy and asking questions. It wasn't that Dick didn't want to talk about it to Roy, but he wouldn't be able to discuss Kory's hiatus without going into all the details – and they weren't really his details to tell.

"Holy shit, is she pregnant? Is that even possible?"

"What do you mean is it even possible - of course it is!" Dick stopped for a moment; he didn't know if it was or not. "I think."

"So she _may_ be pregnant?" Roy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Dick groaned and rolled his baby blue eyes. "Roy, no, stop." Dick ushered Roy toward the door urging him to step out in front of him. "Let's just get out of this office; I'll explain, but not in here."

Roy nodded and allowed himself to be led out of the office while Dick locked the door behind them.

* * *

When it came to shopping in Jump City, everyone knew that the Downtown Plaza was the place to go; the shops in the Plaza ranged from designer showrooms to vintage boutiques – making the shopping center able to provide for everyone's tastes.

Making their way through the crowd of consumers with shopping bags in tow, Donna and Kory were engrossed in their conversation.

"It is so cool that you are into photography; I have never known anyone that took photographs professionally." Kory said, expressing interest in Donna's hobby.

"I hate to change the subject on you Kory, but have you noticed that guys have been staring at us all day?" Donna asked while looking at the guys around them.

"It is something that I have grown accustomed to; I hope it is not too bothersome for you? To be honest, I do not know whether they are staring at me because they recognize me as Starfire, or if they stare because I am an alien. I try to ignore it, but I must admit that the attention is nice sometimes."

"They're staring at you because you're hot! Hell, you're so attractive that you're making me look good just by standing beside you." Donna wrapped an arm around Kory's shoulder and continued to walk through the crowd. "This just means that we are going to have to plan some girls nights."

"And what precisely would that require?"

Donna giggled. "Has Dick been keeping you in a cage?"

Kory stopped walking. "Not that I am aware of; cages are bad, are they not?" She asked, confused by Donna's statement.

"No, no. I didn't mean it literally. I meant it as , 'I can't believe you haven't heard of girls night'."

"Oh," Kory blushed slightly. "I see what you mean now."

"A girls night is when you go out at night with just females. Usually it's to a bar or a club, but you could go anywhere really."

Kory nodded while silently mouthing, "oh."

"Yeah, they are really fun."

"I guess I never experienced this before because Raven really is not the 'girls nights' type it seems."

"Too bad Raven didn't want to come today; I'd like to get to know her."

"Raven is great, she is just introverted. It will take a little while to get to know her, but once you do, you will like her."

Donna nodded and then changed the subject again. "I hope this doesn't make me too brazen, but can I ask you why you are having to take time off from the Titans?"

Kory was slightly taken aback; she didn't know how to react to Donna's sudden topic change, but she gave herself a few seconds to compose herself before answering. "How did you know about that?"

"Well, Dick mentioned it to Roy and Roy told me; neither of us know any of the details so don't worry."

Kory furrowed her eyebrows. "It really is not something that I wish for everyone to know, but since you are now living with us I may as well tell you."

Kory swallowed before continuing, "It all started a few months ago."

* * *

"And they went shopping? For clothes? From the looks of your room, Dick, I'd say Kory has enough to clothe a homeless army."

Dick shrugged one of his shoulders and smiled. "She likes clothes."

"So how long have you two been together, anyway?"

"Six years." Dick said without thinking; he began picking up some of Kory's clothes off of his bed and hanging them back in the closet.

"God, your relationship's older than my freakin' kid."

Realizing what Roy said was true, Dick laughed out loud. "I never thought about it that way, but yeah..."

"Okay, where is it?" Roy egged on knowingly. "Let me see it."

Confused by the question and its following statement, Dick stopped what he was doing and raised his eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Let you see what?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about."

"No, I really don't."

"Dick," Roy walked up to Dick and pat him on the shoulder before taking a seat on a patch of clothes-free bed. "The ring; just let me see it."

Dick took a moment to gain his composure and turned to his friend sitting on the bed. "Why would you think that I had a ring?"

"Because you're 'that type of guy'." Roy raised his hands and used finger quotes.

"What's _that _supposed to mean?" Dick asked slightly offended.

"Dick come on," Roy flopped back onto the bed, "you're killing me here."

Dick couldn't help but laugh over Roy's over dramatization. "I'm sorry?"

"I'm just going to keep bugging the shit out of you until break down and just show me. I hope you know that."

"Bug me all you want, but I'm not going to show you anything."

"YOU AREN'T DENYING IT!" Roy shot up to an upright position.

"Roy, calm down. You're acting like a girl." Dick gave him the version of the "bat glare" that he had perfected over the years.

Roy just laughed, knowing that he was successful in annoying Dick into bat-mode. Dick on the other hand, just sighed and decided to give up. "And yes, I do have a ring. Of course I do."

"Whoa."

"What?"

"Nothing...just wow...I know I was saying it, but I guess part of me actually believed that you didn't have one," Roy said, shaking his head. "That's a big deal, man."

Dick rolled his eyes. "I'm never telling you anything again, I hope you know that."

"Okay, I'm going to be straight with you; I'm totally happy for you. Granted, I wanted Kory to have the rest of _my_ babies, but I guess if she's taken off the market, it may as well be by you."

"You really are a pervert."

"Yeah, I know." Roy said, nodding his head in agreement.

Dick sat down next to Roy on the bed and sarcastically remarked, "remind me why we're friends."

"Dick, as much as I love our little heart-to heart moments, I think this conversation is getting a little too emotional for me. I'm going to the common room."

Dick let out a small chuckle followed by an exasperated sigh. "You're such a loser."

* * *

The girls bounded back into the tower, immersed in a fit of laughter. The shopping day had proven to be a great bonding experience; Donna and Kory were on the fast track to being best friends. Kory opened up to Donna about everything that had been going on in her life over the past couple of months. While she didn't reveal the name of her rapist, Kory did reveal her plans to go see Stassney that evening.

Donna had been shocked to say the least. Supportive, but shocked. She gave Kory a hug, told her everything would be okay and that she could always count on her as a pillar of support. Talking with Donna had been different than talking to Raven. Raven knew what Kory was thinking about before she mentioned it, but somehow Kory found comfort in being able to control what the other person knew.

"What's so funny girls?"

"Not that it's any of your business, Roy, Kory and I were laughing about the cab driver." Donna said kicking her shoes off.

Leaving Donna and Roy to bicker, Kory dropped her bags at the door, walked over and sat beside Dick and leaned into him after he wrapped his arm around her.

"Did you have fun shopping?" Dick asked softly and lightly combed through her hair with her fingers.

"Yeah; I found some cute things." she answered solemnly.

Dick frowned. He hated that Kory was feeling sad and wished that there was something that he could do; however, he was glad that she was actually talking openly about her feelings instead of trying to cover them up.

"So are you going to fill me in on what was so funny?

"Donna was just explaining male strip clubs to me and the cab driver tried to hit on us; it was nothing." Kory kicked off her shoes so that she could curl up on the couch and lay her head in Dick's lap.

"Why were you two talking about male strip clubs?"

"We were talking about girls nights and places to go for them. Male strip clubs are – "

Dick sighed. "I know what they are."

"Oh."

"Are you two planning a girls night or something?" Dick cringed as he said it. The mental image of Kory going wild at a male strip club was enough to make him physically ill.

"I told her that I did not wish to have one now; maybe when I am in better spirits."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," he nodded with relief. "I don't need you going in there and falling in love with some other guy."

Kory smirked. "You know that would not happen." She was about to finish her statement with a compliment before she saw the grin on his face. "You were digging?"

"Yeah, you caught me, I was," he lightly laughed.

"Do not be a dick," Kory said rolling over. "I trust that I used it correctly that time."

"Yes, you did." he smiled. He turned her back over and looked down at her face. "But hey, even dicks need love, too."

He noticed Kory's eyes brighten a little and he knew that he had successfully cheered her up; maybe not a lot, but enough to make a difference.

"I love you. I know I have not said it a lot lately, but I do."

"I love you too, Kory."

Kory sat up and gave him a quick peck on the lips before standing. "I will be right back, Dick. I have to go do something."

"What is it that you have to do?"

"I will tell you about it later."

Kory walked over to grab her shopping bags and then headed to the bedroom, leaving Dick in a state of confusion.

* * *

Kory stood in front of Jump City Memorial and watched her cab drive away. It took all of her self control not to stop him and hop back into the cab. She had to sneak out of Dick's bedroom window to get here, knowing that if she would have exited via the common room, Dick would have stopped her somehow. So she locked the bedroom door, dropped the emergency ladder that he always had on his small balcony and descended onto the tower's lawn. While waiting for a cab, she saw the wild flowers growing against the building and picked some remembering that flowers often accompanied apologies.

She repeated a small encouraging mantra to herself as she walked into the building.

"May I help you with something?"

Kory snapped out of her thoughts and looked straight ahead. "Pardon?" she asked nervously.

"I said, 'May I help you with something'?" The receptionist looked bored and by the sound of her voice, she didn't have any patience.

"Oh yes, of course. I am looking for a patient by the name of Stassney Black."

She watched the grumpy woman behind the desk type something into her computer.

"Room 418."

Kory made a mental note before walking towards the elevators. She hadn't been here since Dick got food poisoning and that was a long time ago. Since then, Dick made sure to have a full-time medic on tower premises.

The elevator made a small "ding" and opened its doors, inviting Kory to step inside. Once she pushed the button marked "4" the elevator shut its doors and began its ascent. The elevator doors reopened with a small "swish" and she stepped out onto the fourth floor. Full of a temporary burst of courage and confidence, Kory walked down the hall until she spotted room 418 and slowly opened the door.

_**Here goes nothing.**_


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer: **See Prologue

**Updated May 2013**

* * *

**.:. Bound To You.:.**

Chapter 11

* * *

Kory looked down at the book in her hands before quickly flipping it open to the first empty page and pressing the pen – that was previously lodged between her teeth – to it. She had a lot to say at that particular moment and she thought that it would be a smart idea to write it down first, before telling her boyfriend.

_**Dear Journal,**_

_**I am afraid that I do not have a lot of time for pleasantries; I have a lot to talk about and if I know Dick, he will be coming to look for me very soon – that is, if he is not searching for me already. **_

_**I fear that I will not be able to "snap out of it." Since the restaurant, I have been feeling very depressed and void of energy and t**__**his behavior is not typical Starfire. It is not something I would normally be; therefore, I must still be "sick" right? Who is to say that Starfire even exists anymore? Apparently my friends are convinced that I am deep within this shell somewhere, clawing to come out and that one day I will wake up and things will be back to "normal." Back to the way things used to be. I used to desperately feel the same way, but now...**_

_**I do not want to go back to being that person.**_

_**Can I really go back to being carefree again? After everything that has happened?**_

_**I realize that I do need to "heal" and I understand that I need to take time off from the Titans to do that, but it bothers me that it was their decision and not my own. Of course I never told them that.**_

_**I am sick of them looking at me, waiting for me to break into a million pieces. I am tired of Dick walking on eggshells around me afraid that anything he says will send me into a fit. I do not mind him being sweet to me, but this is not real. I want my real life back. I want the Titans back.**_

_**I had to regain their trust; it was not an option. I needed to do something to prove to them that I was going to be okay and that when I was, I could come back to the team – no questions asked. Which brought me to my decision to visit Stassney Black.**_

"_Hello?" Kory said to announce her presence after she cracked open the door to his room. "Stassney?"_

_She carefully nudged the door open a little more when she didn't receive a response from him._

"_Stassney, I do not wish to disturb you, but are you in here?" _

_She let out a sigh as she pushed the door all the way open and invited herself in. "Stassney, this is Star...Kory... I am coming in now."_

_She walked further into the room and the end of a hospital bed sprung into her line of sight; so did a pair of feet. The closer she came, the more she saw and pretty soon she was standing beside the bed, taking in all of Stassney's sleeping form. _

"_Stassney?" She spoke lightly, hoping that she wouldn't have to resort to waking him up by force. "Stassney, wake up please. I must speak with you."_

_Noticing the fluttering of his eyelashes, she spoke up again. "It is rather important."_

_He didn't budge and she dreaded what she was going to have to do next, but she didn't have a choice. This needed to be done now; if she had to leave, she wouldn't have enough courage to come and try again. So, she placed the hand-picked flowers on the tray beside her and then she shoved him._

_...a little harder than she meant to..._

_His eyes flew open due to the impact causing Kory to jump back a little in shock. He stared at her for a while as if her were trying to focus in on her face – and when he finally did, his reaction was anything but cordial._

"_YOU!"_

"_Stassney -" _

"_You shouldn't be in here! I don't want you in here!" he shouted as he fumbled around in search of the 'call nurse' button. "Stay away from me! I'm going to call the nurse."_

"_But -"_

"_I mean it; you're crazy! I don't want you near me."_

_Kory didn't blame him for his reaction, but she couldn't help the feeling of overwhelming sadness. She had practically butchered him to the point of near-death. Him being in the hospital was her fault; he didn't even want anything to do with her. She quickly brought her hands to her face as she cried into them. "Please do not call the nurse. I am not here to do any damage to you."_

_Stassney remained silent for a moment, obviously taken aback from Kory's sudden outburst of tears._

"_You brought me flowers." Kory noticed that his voice was softer than it was when she had first awakened him and she dropped her hands. "That's a nice gesture, I guess – seeing as how you almost killed me." She took a step back toward the bed – too scared to walk all the way back up to it yet – sniffled and cocked her head to the side._

"_I do apologize; I really did not mean for any of that to occur, I was merely –" she started but was interrupted for the third time._

"_I know."_

"_Oh yes, I forget that you can read my inner-most thoughts." Kory admitted the fact nervously. She contemplated on whether she should employ the 'random thoughts method.'_

"_I wasn't - I figured it out from the flowers."_

"_Oh." Kory stopped sniffling and fell silent, not knowing what to say next; her thoughts became stuck on how she should've thought of what she was going to say before she came, but her thoughts were ended by Stassney groaning in pain._

"_Stassney, are you hurt?"_

"_I was trying to read your mind; I hate silence."_

"_Do you not just hear my thoughts naturally? I thought that is how it worked with you?"_

"_Used to. Now, I have to concentrate and for some reason, it really hurts when I do – like a splitting headache." __Kory, who was nodding along in confusion, also found it strange that a coma would have such an effect on a special ability._

"_J__ust __tell me why you're here. I'm not stupid; I know you didn't come down here just to apologize."_

"_You are right. I do come with ulterior motives, but I also did come to apologize. You have done some bad things; however, that did not give me the right to do what I did. I do not know what came over me – I was not in my right mind, so to speak."_

"_I should say so. They had to do a skin graft for the burns on my chest." _

_Kory narrowed her eyes and frowned in irritation at the fact that he did not know how to properly accept an apology; she couldn't help but feel the need to get a little defensive. _

"_Well, you should have known better than to torture me; it was extremely cruel and unkind of you to do so."_

_Stassney's eyes suddenly clouded over and Kory couldn't exactly place the look, but then again she wasn't used to his emotions. Could it have been guilt, possibly?_

"_Oh...that. Sorry."_

_Now she was really getting upset. Sure, her initial intention was to come in, apologize, kiss ass in order to get the answers she so desperately needed and then leave; however, as she stood in front of him and listened to his shotty attempt at an apology, that agenda had seemingly flown out the window._

"_That is all that you can say?"_

"_I thought you were here to apologize, to me."_

"_That was before you tried to make me feel even more guilty about what happened. You made me watch as he attacked me; I may have caused physical damage to you, but have you any idea how much emotional harm that did to me?" When she realized that the volume of her voice had increased significantly, she did lowered it. "I was under the impression that even though we were on opposite sides of the law, that we had a certain...friendly connection... I must have been wrong."_

"_Okay, I'm going to be honest with you. I just gained consciousness two days ago and before this moment, I hadn't really thought about it – or about you – but now that you have brought it to my attention, I do feel bad about it. I shouldn't have done that to you and I guess you can say that I wasn't really in my right mind either, not that I ever have been; you get my point."_

"_You were not in your right mind? Were you drugged?"_

"_No."_

"_Someone was controlling you?"_

"_No."_

"_You felt ill?"_

"_No. No. No. Nothing like that – I just got a little power hungry, that's all." She could tell that Stassney was getting a little annoyed at her questioning, but she wasn't going to let that keep her from her goal._

"_Would you mind if I asked you how you got your new powers in the first place?"_

_She heard a frustrated grunt come from his direction. "What is this? Twenty Questions? What would I get out of this?"_

"_Pardon?"_

"_Why should I tell you anything without something in return? That would be a pretty dumb move."_

_Kory thought for a moment; she hadn't prepared a bargaining chip – what could she use as leverage?_

"_If you scratch my back, I will scratch yours."_

_Stassney laughed out loud as soon as the words left her mouth and again, Kory narrowed her eyes at him._

"_What is so funny?"_

"_I'm looking for something more specific than that; what exactly are you going to do for me?" he asked as he winked at her._

"_If you are insinuating that I do anything sexual then you better start thinking of another option."_

"_I wasn't...but now that you mention it..."_

"_How about this," Kory said quickly, purposely cutting him off, "you tell me what I want to know and I will make a plea to the Jump City PD on your behalf."_

"_How can I believe that?"_

"_I guess you will just have to trust me. What is it that you have to lose? If you do not tell me then you will definitely go to jail; if you do tell me, then you won't." Kory, looked down at him with determination in her eyes._

_Stassney sighed in defeat. "Fine ask away."_

_Kory inwardly jumped with joy at her ability to bargain. "I already asked."_

"_Refresh my memory."_

"_How did you obtain your new powers?"_

"_Okay, here's the deal," Stassney looked around the room, "a couple of months ago this weird guy approached me and told me that if I wanted it, I could have great power. So of course, I say yes and he touched my arm – that was it. I became more powerful."_

"_...Just because he touched you?" Kory asked skeptically. _

"_Yeah, all he did was touch me."_

"_That is rather odd." Kory stated in a low voice. It was very weird, but something about it sounded familiar - she just couldn't figure out why._

"_Yeah and then he found me again a couple of weeks later, asked me if I wanted a little more; of course, I said yes, but it came at a price and... I did...some things...that I wasn't proud of and I decided that I was done after that...after killing her...I didn't want anything to do with who I'd become...until he found me again. I had every intention of telling him to fuck off but I couldn't... I craved the new power. He told me that he wanted me to mess around with the Titans a little bit; nothing too serious, but enough to do some damage...said something about me being his last hope and for me not to fuck it up. He gave me strict instruction to separate you from the group just in case the others...were to...anyway, I did it and that was that. I haven't seen him since, obviously."_

_"What was this person's name?"_

"_Something weird... Soran...Sorrell...I really ain't that good with names."_

"_...Sorond'r..." Kory whispered._

"_Yeah. That's it!"_

_Kory's expression went blank as the realization hit her - Sorond'r was coming for her. Just as her father predicted. Obviously, he was desperate if he was using low-rate criminals to do his bidding. _

_"Why wouldn't he just come to me first?" Kory asked aloud, forgetting that Stassney was in the room._

_"Pardon?"_

"_Oh." Kory shook her head. "E__xcuse me, Stassney, I have to go!" Kory bolted out of the room at full running speed and made her way out of the hospital._

* * *

Kory sighed. Dick was going to be angry. More than angry, he would be livid. One, she was making deals with criminals promising to keep them out of jail and two, he didn't know anything about Sorond'r.

Dick would definitely "fly off the handle."

She cringed at the thought. Perhaps, sticking to one piece of life-altering information at a time was the better alternative. Was there really a need to tell him about Sorond'r until she actually met with him face to face?

_**Wish me luck, Journal – I am definitely going to need it today.**_

Kory closed the journal and set it beside her on the bed.

"I may as well go talk to him now," she said out loud to herself as she rose from the bed. "It's now or never."

* * *

"Lian, ewww, that's gross. Don't do that!" Roy shouted as he rushed out of his room to swat the green feline's tail out of his daughters mouth. "We don't know where he's been." He picked her up and hoisted her against his hip to keep her from throwing a tantrum. He began to walk down the hall with her and he whispered something into her ear that made her giggle.

"Dowty!"

"Hey! Don't be spreading lies, Roy," Garfield shouted out to Roy as he trailed behind him on the way to the common room. "I'm clean...whoa..." Gar's green eyes fell upon Roy's new costume.

"What?" He asked as the door leading to the common room swished open.

Everyone – all the remaining Titans sans Kory – stopped their conversation and looked toward the door and at Roy.

"This is new," Donna added.

"Come on guys, it's not that different." He walked over and sat Lian down in the chair opposite of the sofa.

"It's different enough." Victor said looking it up and down. "It's cool though; I wish I could change my costume."

"Victor, you don't need one. You always look great." Donna stated with a smile.

"Thanks, doll."

"So what's with the change?" Dick asked.

"Just felt right; Goodbye Speedy and Arsenal, hello Red Arrow."

"I like that, actually," Raven piped in, not really taking her gaze off of the newspaper she was reading. "Speedy was a bit juvenile."

Dick couldn't agree more; Red Arrow did sound more appropriate for a 24-year-old and even though he hadn't really talked about it to anyone, he'd been considering a change himself – he just didn't have any idea about what to change to.

With a swish of the common room door, Kory walked into the room wearing her new outfit – the exact thing that she had worn to see Stassney – although she didn't know how much it helped. She did still have to promise him his freedom, afterall. Her new outfit consisted of a pair of denim shorts and a black button-up vest which accentuated her very full – and perky – breasts.

Garfield's jaw dropped, but he quickly composed himself before Dick could see him; he didn't feel like being thrown across the living again.

"Holy God, you're smokin'." Roy's eyes followed Kory's body – especially her breasts – as she made her way from the doorway. "I am loving that outfit, seriously." Once she walked past him, he was able to transfer his attention to her backside. She stopped beside her boyfriend and when she did, Roy switched his gaze to Dick, who at the moment was giving him the biggest, 'go to hell' look. "Okay, yeah," Roy threw up his hands in defeat. "I crossed the line, I'll stop."

"I guess having a new name and a new costume doesn't make you a new man." Donna tried to scold him.

"I am glad that you find my outfit appealing." Kory said to Roy.

"You'd make a paper sack look appealing, Kory."

"Enough, Roy, fuck!" Dick shouted. "Kory, let's go talk in the hallway." He grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the room.

"Is that your new outfit?"

"Yeah, do you like it? I seemed to get a good response out of everyone." Kory did a full turn in order to show off the outfit.

Dick sighed. "Why do you insist on buying things like this and parading them around the tower in front of the guys?"

"I do not kno-"

"And when Roy starts acting like that, stop acknowledging it as a compliment – he's being a prick."

"I just thought that Roy was being, well, Roy. I do not think he is capable of expressing a compliment in any other way."

Dick growled, hating that she was actually defending his behavior – the same behavior that had him, her boyfriend, royally pissed off.

"Why are you getting angry with me and not with Roy? If you have qualms with how he treats me, you should take that up with him, not me. I have the right to dress how I want - do I not?"

Kory called him out; now he felt like a real jackass.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Dick said as he hung his head.

"And as for the outfit, I wasn't just parading it around the tower; I just got back home from the city. I had something that I needed to take care of and now, there's something serious that I need to talk to you about."

Dick looked at her skeptically and was about to usher her to continue until the siren went off causing him to stand at alert.

"Crap!"

"It's alright Dick, go." Kory nodded towards the door leading to the common room.

"Are you sure? Can this conversation wait?"

Kory contemplated the situation and decided that it could indeed wait, so she nodded. "Of course."

"We will talk about it first thing when I get back." He gave her hand a quick squeeze before letting go and walking back into the common room.

* * *

"So what is the name of this wonderful television program called?" Kory asked turning switching her attention from Lian to the television. "It is so informative and interesting."

"Sesame Stweet." Lian answered without even looking in Kory's direction.

"How have I not discovered this program before?"

Lian didn't respond verbally, she answered Kory with a shrug of her shoulders.

Kory glanced once more at the clock, the Titans had only been gone for forty five minutes and already she was desperate for them to return.

"That was so awesome! I still can't get over it! Donna was like, 'BAM' and Dick was like, 'KAPLOW' and Victor, you were like, 'BOOYAH BITCH' and then I was like, 'See ya later ugly-face'!" Garfield announced as he and the other Titans rushed in through the front door. "Raven, of course you did something in there too." The changeling noticed Kory sitting on the couch and immediately ran up to her.

"Kory, you missed the most awesome battle ever! We kicked so much ass; it was a total piece of cake," he looked to Kory for a smile and she gave him a fake one.

"That is great, friends. I am happy to hear that you did well on your mission."

"Don't let him fool you, Goldie, it wasn't that easy."

"DADDY!" Lian screamed and ran toward Roy when he entered the room with Dick and Donna. "I missed you!"

Roy picked up his daughter and twirled her around, "I missed you too, sweetheart," he said before giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Did you have fun with Kory?"

Lian nodded and enforced her answer with the word, "wots" which Kory assumed was 'child-speak' for lots – but she couldn't be sure.

"Thanks for watching the little rascal, Kor, I owe ya."

"Do not worry about it Roy, you do not owe me anything," responded Kory as she rose from her spot on the couch and began walking toward the three – plus Lian. "All we did was watch this miraculous show titled Sesame Street; you all were not gone very long. I am very happy that your first battle with the team turned out to be a success, Donna." Kory tried to suppress the small tinge of jealousy that surged through her; she had to remind herself that Donna was not here to take her place – Dick reassured her of that fact.

"Thank you Kory." Donna answered back with a bright and friendly smile.

Kory walked up to Dick and whispered into his ear, "May we speak now? I assure you that it holds a great deal of importance."

She noticed a sudden change in Dick's demeanor and hoped that she didn't say anything to upset him.

"Okay Kory," he said in a soft tone, "meet me in the bedroom; I'll be there in a minute."

Kory nodded and headed toward the door that lead to the bedroom corridor.

"What's gonna happen in the bedroom Dick?" Garfield asked sarcastically. Kory didn't bother to stay for Dick's response.

* * *

Dick was starting to get worried. He hated not knowing what to expect and Kory's urgency to have this conversation was a bit unsettling. He opened the bedroom door and watched Kory immediately rise from her seat on the bed.

"So what is it that you needed to talk to me about?" he asked, a familiar nervousness building within him.

Kory looked down at her hands and made a 'gulp' sound as she swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Dick inhaled sharply, mentally preparing himself for the bad news that was sure to follow.

"I am sorry for not telling you this earlier; I thought that it would not be a problem, at least, not for a while. I was wrong."

Dick leaned his head forward slightly and raised his eyebrow in interest.

"Oh, X'hal," Kory placed her hands over her face before running them over her head and through her hair. "There is just so much to say."

Trying to push back the feelings of uneasiness, Dick placed his hand on Kory's shoulder hoping that it would comfort her and help speed up her confession. "Kory it's okay."

After a slight pause, she spoke. "I went to see Stassney today." She finally brought her eyes up to meet his.

"What? When?"

"Earlier. When I came to find you; I had just returned."

"You wore that?!" Dick shook his head knowing that the outfit was beside the point. "Why did you go and see him? Alone? Do you understand how dangerous and stupid that was?" Dick berrated. "What if the police had come in to question him while you were in there? What if he had tried to torture you more? What if–"

"Calm down, please. I am an adult. I understood the risks, but it was something that I had to do."

"...you had to do..." Dick mumbled before going back to his normal 'angry voice'. "You didn't have to do anything except stay here at the tower and –"

"And do what, Dick? Babysit?" Kory watched as he stared at her. "That is exactly why I did it; I am sick of this. All of you are treating me like a child – I can do more than sit around in a tower, you know."

"Kory, that isn't what I'm saying." Dick's frustration leaked into his angry tone. "No one thinks you're a child, but going to see the man that you recently bludgeoned into a coma was extremely irresponsible – very child-like."

"I see." Kory swayed and bobbed her head. "I just wanted to regain everyone's trust."

"Kory, what the fuck? No one distrusts you!" Dick yelled, emphasizing his anger by using his hands.

"Do not curse at me, Dick." Kory ordered sternly.

"I can't help it! You make me so furious sometimes. No matter how many times I tell you something, you refuse to believe me."

"Actions speak louder than words," she said, cocking her head to the side and crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh really? So from my actions lately, all you've gotten out of them is that I don't trust you?" he asked while mirroring her non-verbal behavior.

"You tell me."

"That's a varblark response!" He said the Tamaranean swear word with a straight face.

"Cursing at me in my native tongue is still cursing!" Kory took a deep breath. "I cannot help but feel this way."

"That isn't an answer, Kory." Dick began pacing around the room in order to burn off some steam.

"If you would let me finish maybe, I could give you one!" she finally yelled back at him hoping that it would shut him up.

Dick stopped and threw up his hands, showing her that he was done talking and that she could proceed.

"I was fired! Everyone hides behind this whole, 'we just want you to get better' excuse but that, Dick, is what is varblark. I understand why they felt the need to release me from my duties, but no one even waited to see what I was going to do about the situation. You all just assumed that I needed someone to make that decision for me."

Kory paused and then continued before Dick could cut in. "I do not need someone to come in and let me know that I need to take time off or that I should seek professional counsel; I am the one that was raped, Dick! I know what I do and do not need. Can you truly not see why I do not believe you when you say I am trusted? Do you honestly blame me for feeling this way?"

"Then why didn't you say something before?"

"And have you all pity me more than you already do?" Kory turned away from him. "I would rather die."

Dick grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. "Don't say things like that!"

"Why not? It is the truth! I am not weak nor do I possess cowardice. On Tamaran, those who graciously accept the pity of others –"

"I don't feel like talking about your planet's crazy customs and beliefs, Kory. I never want to... forget it!" Dick dropped his hands from her arms and ran them through his hair. He didn't want to argue about Tamaran right now. "We don't pity you, okay. At least I don't."

"You say that, Dick, but I notice how you all act around me – like I am some porcelain doll that you all have to be careful not to break. Raven is not sarcastic to me anymore, Victor lets me win at all of his video games in order to help my self esteem, Garfield, well, he actually has not changed much, but this is the first time that you and I have had a disagreement in months. I feel as though you are monitoring your behavior in order to keep me happy and that does not make me happy. This is why I had to go see Stassney; I had to prove that I was capable of accomplishing the goal that I set out to do in the first place – the one I was trusted with."

"No one asked you to do that."

"We needed answers and I was the only one who would be able to get them. The Titans would not have been allowed into his room. He already knew who I was - both of me: Kory and Starfire; I had to be the one to do it."

"Okay," Dick walked over to the bed and took a seat on the edge. He was tired of arguing and at this point, he just wanted to know what Kory was able to find out. "I don't feel like arguing anymore; just tell me what you were able to find out."

Kory began to pace around the room again; she knew that the bulk of tonight's argument hadn't even begun and as much as she too hated to argue, he needed to know. "Okay, well he clarified a lot of things, actually. He explained himself and his behavior over the last few months - even apologized for the situation that happened with me." Kory knew she was rambling, which made Dick even more curious that she wanted him to be. She quickly glanced around the room, avoiding the gaze that was watching her intently. "Good news is that it is over. He is done."

"Stassney? That's a little hard to believe."

"No, not Stassney."

"Then who's done?"

"The person behind all of it." She closed her eyes preparing herself for Dick's next question and trying to figure out how she was going to break the news to him.

"Out with it Kory, who?" Dick was growing impatient.

"...Sorond'r..." she mumbled quietly.

"Who?"

"Sorond'r!"

"Kory, this is making me very frustrated. Who is Sorond'r and why are you speaking as though you know him?" After the words left his mouth, something in his mind clicked. "At the beginning of this conversation, you said that you wish you would have told me this earlier but you didn't think it would be a problem." Dick nodded to himself, realizing that there was a bigger explanation here. "What are you keeping from me?"

Kory looked as though she was about to cry, but she kept her composure.

"Say something, please! You're starting to freak me out." he pleaded.

"I know Sorond'r from Tamaran; I haven't seen him since I was eleven."

"Was he a bad guy?" Dick asked.

"Oh no, he was my best friend." Kory's mind instantly flashed back to a few good memories that she'd forced out of her mind once Sorond'r left for warrior training on Okaara. Images of them picking flowers in the field behind the palace, reading old folk tales underneath a blanket tent in her bedroom and of their farewell hug - the last time that she ever saw him. After everything that had happened to her right before and during her time on planet Earth, she hadn't given him a second thought until recently. It made her feel a little guilty.

"He always possessed this ability," she continued with her explanation. "He was able to increase the powers of those he was touching." She realized that she was having trouble explaining things, but she knew that Dick was smart; he would know what she was trying to say. "I can only assume that his abilities increased during the Tamaranean transformation process; I do not know."

"Well he's definitely a bad guy now and he will be defeated. Luckily, you know who he is and can help –"

"I do not know who he is. I have not been in contact with him for over 10 years; he has most likely changed in appearance since age twelve."

"Kory, it's worth a try. We have some alien running around increasing the powers of our enemies."

Kory stopped pacing and looked at Dick sitting on the bed. "I do not think he is being villainous." She frowned and pulled away from Dick's eye contact. "Just desperate."

"Kory, why would this guy be desperate?" Dick knew something was wrong - something big.

"Because of me." Upon hearing the words, the sickness started to restir in the pit of his stomach.

"He told Stassney that he was his last chance; I do believe he has returned to Tamaran. I doubt he will bother you all any more."

"You mean all of us."

"Not me. Sorond'r ordered Stassney to mess with the Titans a little bit, but gave distinct orders to keep me separate. This was his way to convince me to go back to Tamaran and I do not think he will give up easily."

I thought your father accepted your resignation of the throne?" Dick's voice waivered. "Why would Sorond'r need to bring you back?"

"Dick, please do not make me say it."

"Say what, Kory," Dick tightly closed his eyes, fighting back the urge to either cry or punch something; his emotions hadn't decided yet. "What is it that you don't want to say?"

Kory's resolve broke down causing a flood of tears cascading down her orange-colored skin. It broke Dick's heart to see her this way, but he couldn't help but feel angry. He fought back the urge to cry himself and asked the question he'd been dreading. "Are you married to him?" Dick swallowed the large lump that formed in the base of his throat.

Kory paused, knowing that the real answer wasn't going to be any better. "No, I'm not."

"You're 'betrothed' to him aren't you." Kory nodded and hung her head in shame.

"How is this even possible?"

"It is a royal custom to pair off children when they are younger for political purposes; why would it surprise you -"

Dick screamed, making Kory jump. "What I mean is, how is it even possible that you were betrothed and you didn't think to tell me about it?!"

"I did not think that it was that important..."

"How is being engaged not important?"

Kory started to choke on her tears. "I am not engaged."

"Kory, they are the SAME THING! You're promised to SOMEONE THAT ISN'T ME!"

"It is not the same. I had no say in this betrothal, which is why I refuse it. As far as I am concerned, my ties to Sorond'r do not exist."

"They do exist!"

"It is not my fault!" She attempted to scream back, but her throat was too clamped to achieve the volume that she wanted.

"In our six years of dating, you've failed to inform me that there was someone on Tamaran waiting to marry you. That _is_ your fault."

Kory buried her face into her hands and yelled into them.

"I can't understand what you're saying."

Kory moved her hands to reveal her tear-stained cheeks. "I do not want to marry him, not anymore! His name had not even crossed my mind since I escaped from Tamaran and landed here on Earth."

"Are you saying that there was actually a point in time when you did want to marry him?"

"He was my childhood sweetheart; of course I thought about marrying him – do Earth girls not fantasize about weddings when they are younger?"

Dick shook his head, knowing that he was being unreasonable. "What happened to the two of you then? If you two were so close and were arranged to be married, why didn't that occur?"

"What is your problem? Why are you acting like such an insensitive gremplork?!" Kory shouted tears continued to fall down her cheek.

"Kory, I feel physically ill right now."

"I do not understand why this is such a big deal to you! I do not love him! You are my gend'an, my soulmate."

"It's a big deal because there is someone out there in the universe that has some fucked-up alien claim on you and there's nothing that I can do about it."

Kory opened her mouth to make a remark before Dick cut her off. "Yes, my language... I KNOW!"

"What about how I feel?"

"Pardon?"

"Since my conversation with Stassney, all I can think about is my father, Sorond'r and Tamaran – I am so scared right now and you are not making it any easier on me. Do you think I enjoy the fact that my long lost ex-boyfriend decides to appear out of nowhere to wreck havoc in the lives of myself and my friends?"

Dick remained silent as Kory drilled into him, making him feel like the world's biggest jerk.

"I have not thought about Sorond'r since I left Tamaran and I was under the impression that once I came to Earth, I was going to be left alone. I was horribly mistaken."

Deciding that her knees were going to give out on her at any moment, she flung her body onto the bed and cried into the comforter. Dick watched Kory and his heart broke - he hated to see her like this. "Kory..."

"And the worst part is that I have no choice."

"What do you mean?" Dick tried to speak a second time – again, he was cut off.

"He's going to send them after me! They will kill everyone until they find me!" Kory's breathing started to become panicked.

"You aren't making any sense."

"I...can't...breath..."

Dick wasted no time; he straddled his hysterical girlfriend on the bed and used his arms to flip her over onto her back. He held her down with force and looked her dead in the eye.

"Kory. Calm down!"

"I...can't..."

"Yes you can; you have to. You're having a panic attack; you need to start breathing slower or I'll have to inject you with a relaxant. I know you hate needles, so I'm going to need you to breathe with me okay?" He grabbed her hand and held it against his chest. "1...2...3...breathe in...1...2...3...breathe out." He heard Kory start to control her breathing. "That's good Kory, you're doing good. Keep counting."

"I think I am fine now."

Dick lifted himself up using his knees and climbed off of her. "Good." Dick grabbed her wrist and checked her pulse. "You're going to be fine – just stay calm. You worried me."

"I'm sorry. I am just a little stressed out."

"I'm sorry, too; I never should have attacked you like that."

"No, you should not have."

"I'm a jerk."

Kory just nodded in silence.

"Now that you're calmed down, do you mind telling me what's wrong?" asked Dick, who was now laying – on his side– on the bed beside her.

"If I do not return to Tamaran to accept the title of Grand Ruler, it will forfeit to Sorond'r."

"Okay." He nodded, trying to understand.

"I am bound to him by Tamaranean law; if I refuse to return to Tamaran and marry him, he has the right to summon the Intergalactic Council – and they will kill until they find me." Kory admitted solemnly. She closed her eyes and took in slow and deep breaths in order to remain calm. "If it comes down to the Council, I will be thrown back into slavery and I would be considered a traitor to my people."

When Kory opened her eyes, she noticed that Dick's unmasked baby blues were opened wide and boring into her.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" he asked quietly.

Kory blinked slowly to emphasize her slight embarrassment. "I hoped –deep down– that he would not do anything; that no action would be taken. The Sorond'r that I used to know would never be capable of something that vile. He was kind-hearted and I believed that above all else, he would want my happiness. Him showing up on Earth just proves how wrong I am."

"I won't let anything happen to you."

"You get in the way; they kill you," she turned her head to look away from him. "I would never be able to live with myself if that happened. And I refuse to go back into slavery," she admitted with a forceful and cool tone, "I will kill myself first."

Dick cringed when the words came out of her mouth; the thought of her ending her life was torturous. "Kory..."

"I am sorry, Dick, I know you do not like me to talk about such things-"

"...Kory..."

"- and it may be a cowardly thing to do, but I do not know how I would be able to live through that again-"

"...Kory..." Dick attempted to interrupt her again.

"I just really do not know what I am going to do."

"...just look at me..."

Kory turned her head and looked into his eyes once again.

"I love you."

Kory rolled her head back over and refocused her attention onto the ceiling.

"I just hope that love is enough."


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Disclaimer: **See Prologue

**Updated June 2013**

* * *

**.:. Bound To You .:.**

Chapter 12

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Kory informed Dick about her "friend" and his little plan to coerce her back to Tamaran. Even though she'd told him that she was sure Sorond'r had returned back to the depths of space, Dick wasn't. She had a great point - why would he give up that easily? Dick pounded into the punching bag hanging from the ceiling of the Titan's training annex. Thinking about the situation made him slightly mad - in both senses of the word. For the most part, he had been able to put the news behind him; however, there was still a tiny voice in his head that kept reminding him Kory was engaged to someone else, someone more powerful than he was, and there wasn't anything that he could do to stop him.

He paused his workout for a few seconds in order to take care of the sweat drops threatening to fall off his brows. Not bothering to walk over to the bench and use the towel that he'd brought in, he lifted up the bottom of his shirt and ran it over his face. He glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that what felt like a thirty minute workout, had actually lasted two hours. Dick returned to the red bag anyway, unaware of a certain someone watching him from the doorway.

"Well hello there, stranger; when did you get back?" the person finally made her presence known and stepped into the room.

Dick, who had been completely oblivious to everything except the punching bag, refrained from showing any signs of surprise as his friend strolled up beside him. _**  
**_

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

Dick stopped the bag from swinging and walked over to the bench where his towel and water bottle sat. "It's okay, Donna; I needed to stop anyway." Dick sat down and leaned back against the seat. "I got back a few hours ago; no one was awake, so I came in here."

Donna walked over to the bench and took a seat beside him. "You were gone for three days. Big case?"

Dick squeezed the water bottle over his face and then dried off with the towel. "Bruce had to go out of town on business," he said before clearing his throat. "Didn't have to do much; Catwoman watches over the East End and Babs is pretty efficient."

"Wow, it's hard to imagine Catwoman watching over anything."

Dick shrugged. "Yeah, I know."

"While we're on the subject of Gotham," Donna started, "did you happen to see anything, I don't know, out of the ordinary?"

"Out of the ordinary?" Dick asked incredulously. "No. Why do you ask?"

"No reason." Donna stood up from her seat. "I just didn't know if there were any new caped crime fighters running around. You know how it goes."

She let out a nervous laugh that instantly told Dick that there was something she was hiding. He quickly looked over her form and noticed that she was carefully holding something behind her back.

"Donna, what do you have in your hands?"

"Oh this?" She quickly waived it through the air before holding it back behind her. "It's just a gossip magazine I was reading, nothing important."

"No?" He quickly reached around and snatched the magazine out of her hands. "Really, Donna? The Gotham Post?"

"Okay, hear me out. I saw this on the news stands and thought that it was kind of a big deal."

Dick looked over the cover whose headline screamed out the question, "Has Batman hatched more Robins?"

"I took the time and read the article; it says that there is a second Robin roaming around Gotham City. As ridiculous as the whole 'he has the ability to clone' theory is, I thought you should know."

"This is The Post. I can't remember the last time I read a factual article in this thing." Dick held the magazine out in front of her and pointed at the cover. "The uniforms aren't even the same. No one is going to believe this trash. It's probably some kid running around after a costume party or something."

Donna nodded as Dick rolled up the thin magazine and handed it back to her.

"You're right it's probably nothing."

"I know I'm right. Trust me, if there was someone running around trying to be Robin, I would know about it; nothing like this would ever slip through Bruce's fingers."

"So," Donna began to change the subject."How are you feeling?"

Dick looked at her and raised his eyebrow. "Good I guess?"

"Roy told me."

"Ah," Dick nodded. "I guess Roy can't keep anything to himself."

"Don't blame him; I think he only told me so that I would talk some sense into you."

He didn't respond. Instead, he focused his attention on his hands and the tape that currently wrapped them.

"Why not just talk to me? You know that I offer a much better perspective than _Roy_."

"There really isn't much to talk about; I mean, there isn't anything that you can tell me that I don't already know. I know that feeling jealous is unreasonable, but I still can't help it. I'm a bit upset, but I know I shouldn't be angry with her. After assessing the situation, I can see why she didn't tell me sooner." While he spoke, he unwrapped the tape around his hands. "When I talked to Roy, I was being extremely irrational about everything, but nothing puts your mind and thoughts in order like three days alone on a dark rooftop."

"Good." Donna said. " Because, I like Kory and I'd hate to see something come between you two." She walked over to the lockers at the back of the room, took out the chalk and began dusting her hands with it.

"I kind of like her, too." Dick said with a smirk. "What are you doing?"

"Surely you didn't think I came in here just to talk to you?" Donna grinned and cocked her head to the side.

Dick rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "well...I..."

"It's our day to train," Garfield said as he walked into the room. "You made the schedule Dick, you should know."

Dick began to throw his items into a small bag that he'd brought in with him. "Of course." He picked up his workout bag and hoisted it over his shoulder before grabbing the smaller bag that he just filled. "I have a lot of stuff to catch up on so I will get out of your way. It was nice talking to you, Donna."

"You too, Dick."

Dick left the training room and headed toward his bedroom; he desperately needed a shower. Not to mention, there was a certain red-head that he hoped would be glad to see him; he had a lot of sucking up to do.

* * *

He knew that she hadn't heard him open and close the door; he also knew that she still hadn't seen him standing in the doorway now armed with only a duffel bag and a large grin.

Kory had her eyes closed while she danced around the room, singing to whatever song was playing on her iPod; he sure as hell didn't recognize it, but then again, that wasn't saying much. His smile grew even larger when he heard the loud "Eep" sound that escaped from her lips the moment she realized that he was in the room.

"How long have you been there?!" She clutched her chest and struggled to catch her breath.

Dick couldn't help but to chuckle and shoot her a smirk. "Long enough."

Kory frowned. "How humiliating!"

"It's okay; I thought it was cute. I always think it's cute."

Instead of responding to his statement, she ran up and embraced him.

"Does this mean that you forgive me?" He asked as he dropped the duffel bag he was holding, freeing up his arms so that he could hug her back.

"Forgive you for what? Sneaking up on me? Or acting like a chlorbag for the last two weeks?"

Dick pulled away so that he could look straight into the bright green pools that always seemed to enrapture him. "Both?" he asked with hope in his voice.

"I do not know yet," she said, pulling him back into the hug. "I will think about it."

"Well, I was thinking– "

"Dick, do not talk; you are ruining this beautiful moment."

Dick just smiled and nuzzled into her shoulder taking in the scent of her hair as he did so. He knew he was forgiven; he didn't think he deserved to be let off the hook so easily, but he was grateful for it.

"I think this goes without saying, but I really missed you."

"I missed you too, Dick."

"I always miss you when I'm gone."

He felt her nod against the side of his head. "I know."

"I feel terrible about this, but I didn't have enough time to stop and get you a gift; I always forget how time consuming working solo can be."

"You being home and unharmed is enough of a gift for me." The simple statement made Dick smile.

The moment he took his nose out of Kory's hair, was the moment that he noticed his own smell: it was no good. Dick pulled his head up and placed a light kiss on his girlfriend's lips before removing himself from the embrace. "I hate to cut this 'beautiful moment' short, but I really need to take a shower. I'm all sweaty and smelly."

"I noticed but I was not going to say anything."

"Is that so? Well it's too bad that we can't all be sweat-resistant like you." He rubbed his nose against hers, causing hers to wrinkle.

She used the palms of her hands to shove him away. "Get away, stinky. Go take your shower."

Dick laughed and stepped back from her, heeding her request. "Point noted." He walked to the bathroom door and twisted the handle. "You know," he started nervously, "you're welcome to join me if you want."

"Well, I suppose if I had your word that you would be good, then it would be a possibility." Kory eyed him seductively.

"Really?" Dick was a little shocked at first, but he quickly recovered and cleared his throat when he saw her nodding at him. "Oh...yeah...yeah." After six years of dating, sometimes Kory's sexual advances still left him speechless. "When am I not good?" He opened the door and motioned for her to enter, taking a slight bow. "The shower awaits, your highness."

Kory obliged. "I am liking this already."

* * *

Dick shut and locked the bathroom door behind them, while Kory turned the water on in the shower. Dick started to peel off his sweaty clothes, but he kept getting distracted by the sight of Kory taking off hers.

"Are you coming?" Kory teased as her now naked body stepped into the shower. "The water is nice and warm."

"Yeah, I'm coming...just...hold..." Dick couldn't remember if he'd ever gotten undressed that quickly before. He used his foot to slide all of his dirty clothes against the wall; his pathway way now clear. "...on..." As soon as he hopped into the shower, he felt his muscles unwind under the heat of the water beating on top of him. For a brief moment, the thought of sex escaped his mind completely and he threw his head back in pure relaxation.

His moment of total decompression didn't last long though, for as soon as he picked his head up and saw Kory standing in front of him in all of her nude glory, his arousal instantly returned.

Kory smiled at him and leaned her head back, allowing the water to completely drench her thick red hair. Dick loved her hair and he often wondered how she was able to maintain it. It seemed as though it would be unruly, but in fact, it was quite the opposite. Kory's hair was the silkiest that he'd ever touched – not that he went around touching a lot of hair – but even after an intense mission, he could run his fingers through it and find it to be just as soft as it would have been sans battle. He adored that. After watching her toss it around under the water, he couldn't help but to ask.

"Kory, can I wash your hair?"

Even though her lips didn't convey it, Dick could see the smile in her eyes as she nodded her approval. He urged her to turn around so that her back faced him and she immediately followed his command. He glanced around the shower trying to find her shampoo and finally found it sitting in the corner. He picked it up and popped open the lid.

"Were you able to locate my shampoo?" Kory was about to turn around when Dick nixed her.

"Don't turn around; I found it. Just keep your eyes closed."

Before squeezing a dollop into the palm of his hand, he brought the bottle up to his nostrils and inhaled deeply, taking in it's scent. He couldn't place the smell and he definitely couldn't describe it; all he knew was that it smelled like her.

He rubbed his hands together and created a lather before placing the palms of his hands on her scalp. He gently massaged the shampoo through the half half of her head using his fingertips.

"That feels glorious," Kory moaned as she slightly tilted her head back and leaned into him.

Dick chuckled as he reached down and poured more shampoo into the palm of his hand. He ran his hands down the length of her hair as if he were holding on to a very thick rope; he did this in order to evenly distribute the contents of his hand. As soon as he finished doing that, he began to rake his fingers through her tresses, every few seconds stopping to massage the back of her head.

"You have more hair than I thought," Dick laughed lightly, as he started to rinse out all of the suds.

"Do you think I should cut it?"

"Not at all."

He gently brushed all of her hair to one side with the back of his hand, exposing the curve of her neck and shoulder so that he could whisper into her ear.

"I love your hair...I love you..."

It was impossible for Dick to be so close to her and not want to touch her, kiss her; one minute he was running the palms of his hands up and down her smooth, velvety arms, the next he was placing butterfly kisses down the side of her neck.

The moment she moaned in pleasure, he knew that he was done for.

The thought of rinsing her hair had completely slipped his mind; he was now engrossed in yet another thing he adored about Kory: her body.

Wanting the moment to linger, Dick tried to be an gentle as possible. He lightly grazed his fingertips across her hips and the tops of her thighs as he moved the attention of his lips to her earlobe. Her knees buckled as soon as his lips made contact and he grabbed onto the the side of her hips and pulled her closer into him.

Kory wriggled around in his grip until she faced him. "You were teasing me."

Dick feigned shock, "I wasn't trying to." He threw on a sly grin. "But if you want me to stop—"

Kory passionately crushed her lips on top on his, obviously hungry for him.

Dick walked her backwards, pressed her up against the white tiles that covered the shower wall and closed the gap between their bodies.

"Oh God," he gasped against Kory's lips. "Now who's teasing who?" he asked, his breathing going ragged as she started rub her fingers over his throbbing member.

"You have to stop." he grabbed her hands and pinned them against the wall before once again taking control of her lips.

Kory broke lip contact and began to kiss him on the neck, much like he did to her earlier.

"Kory..." he warned.

"Yes, Dick?"

When he looked into her eyes and saw all of the desire that swirled inside of them, he lost all willpower.

"Fuck it."

Dick unpinned her arms from the wall and guided them around his neck as he hoisted her up to a higher position on the wall. As he did, she took his cue and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Kiss me." She demanded throatily and he happily complied; that husky voice of hers turned him on to no end -the sound of raw hunger, knowing that she needed him as much as he needed her. He felt his penis riding against her inner thigh, aching to enter her and to feel completely connected. Obviously, her body craved him as well; he felt her gyrate her hips, hoping to guide him in.

"I...need...you," she spoke between fevered kisses.

With her aid, he situated himself and glided into her; an action that caused both of them to moan into each others mouths.

Once he was inside, he pressed Kory harder against the tiles in order to keep her from slipping as he re-situated his arms and hands. While doing this, he wiggled around inside of her hoping to induce another throaty moan. When his goal had been accomplished, he couldn't help but smile against her needy kisses.

He couldn't wait anymore; with his hands now pressing on her hips in order to keep her steady against the wall, he lightly pulled out until just the tip remained inside or her and then went back in, taking his time – wanting to indulge. He grew hungrier and needier with each slow thrust, but he kept up the pace; he knew if it was driving him wild, than it must be doing the same to her. His assumptions were confirmed when she bit his bottom lip; an act she did when she was ready for him to 'go faster'.

Agreeing himself that slow and steady was no longer satisfying, he began driving into her at a slightly more rigorous speed. He felt her vaginal walls begin to tighten up around him and he knew that they were on the onset of her climax.

"I'm nearly there; whatever you do, do not stop." she announced huskily.

He briefly speed up in able to intensify her orgasm. He'd had the sole intention of slowing back down in order to savor the moment a little bit longer, but of course, it didn't quite work out that way. Between the momentum, the grip of her body – inside and out – and his name being yelled out in pleasure, the ability to hold back any longer had become impossible.

"Oh...God..." he groaned and shuddered beneath her, burying his head into the curve of her neck and leaning against her body for support. He remained inside her, not wanting to abandon her just yet, but he could feel his penis begin to slip out on its own accord; losing its previous stiffness.

"That was..." Dick spoke against her hot, sticky skin, struggling to catch his breath.

"The best sex we have had in a while, I know."

She carefully unwrapped her legs and he helped her back down.

"I still can't catch my breath. I think it's all the humidity in here." The moment he said it, Kory stepped over and turned the water off.

"Or perhaps it is because I am, as they say, 'too hot to handle'?"

Dick turned around and leaned his back against the tiles. "How do you know that I'm not the one that's too hot to handle? You can't keep your hands off me," he said with a smug grin.

"DICK?! DUDE?! Are you in there?" the knocking on the bathroom door interrupted his flirting.

"Yeah! What do you want, Gar?" He pressed his finger to his lips, motioning for Kory to remain quiet.

"It's time to go grocery shopping."

Dick threw his head back and groaned. "And this is something that has to be done right now?" he yelled.

"It's on the schedule," Gar said matter-of-factly. "You wrote it, not me; so hurry up, we're all waiting for you."

Dick stepped stepped out of the shower and talked at the door. "I'll be out in a minute, just wait for me in the common room, alright?"

Dick waited for Garfield to leave before starting to dry off. "He really needs to cut it out with the 'you wrote the schedule' crap," he said while drying his hair. "I love the kid, but one of these days..." He stopped himself when he noticed Kory, staring at him, still standing naked in the shower stall. "Kory I'm so sorry, I totally forgot."

"Why are you apologizing? There is nothing wrong."

Dick reached into the cabinet and grabbed two towels. "I just wanted to spend more time with you today, that's all. Starting tomorrow I have to catch up on a week's worth of paperwork and it'll probably take me a while."

"It is okay, I am sure that we will be able to hang out later on today."

He smiled at her and placed a lingering kiss on her forehead. "I have to get dressed and go before they come back in here; I love you."

* * *

Kory smiled and hugged herself before falling back onto her bed in a fit of glee. Dick had been so estranged lately; before he left for Gotham, all he'd said to her was, "I don't know when I'll be back; call me if anything happens." She was afraid that when he came back, he wasn't going to want to be with her anymore. Obviously that wasn't the case. They would never be a stereotypical couple by any means, but it seemed as though maybe, their relationship was back on track.

It sucked that Dick had to go into town with Victor and Garfield. Kory missed the days when they would all go to the grocery store together, but since 'The Tampon Incident' Dick made it very clear _that s_eparating the girls and the guys just seemed like the easiest way to make sure that it never happened again.

"Knock, knock Kory."

"Come in, Donna."

Donna bounded through the door and leaped onto the bed next to Kory. "I totally kicked Garfield's ass this morning."

"Congratulations!"

"Yeah, it's not like it's a contest or anything, but it still feels good to win." Donna looked over to her friend who was still laying face up on the bed. "You seem to be in slightly better spirits. Did the boy wonder finally apologize for being a Mr. Grumpypants?"

"It was more of an unspoken apology."

"Personally, I think you should have made him grovel a little bit more, but–" Donna threw her hand to feign defeat.

Kory sighed. "Yes, I know, but I feel like one of the beauties of our relationship is that we both accept the other for who they are. Dick can be very temperamental at times, but so can I."

"All that matters is that you are feeling better."

Kory finally sat up and looked at her friend. "I really am, Donna. For the first time, in a while, I feel energized."

Hearing the news made a grin appear on Donna's face. "This is amazing news! It means you are starting to get better."

"Truly?"

"Yes! Have you told anyone else?"

"No; however, I do plan on informing Dick about it later on this evening. If things progress at this rate, perhaps I will be able to resume normal training within a week or two."

"Do you have your flight back?"

The question eased Kory's brief bought of excitement and caused her to form a slight frown with her lips. "No, my powers, including flight, have not fully returned to me," Kory's face perked up, "although, this morning I found myself able to levitate."

"I guess the training helped afterall."

With Dick being emotionally MIA for the past two weeks Kory had to find ways to occupy her mind; this led to her training on the sly. At the suggestion of Kirk, it started off as a light training regimen of only thirty minutes a day, but the last couple of days, she had upped her time limit to two hours.

"It must have! My body is beginning to feel like itself again; Donna, I cannot express to you how relieved I am. There are no words."

"I am so happy for you, Kor." Donna took her into a hug. "No one one deserves to be happy more than you."

Kory just smiled and resumed her original position – laying on her back with her feet up in the air.

"I'm so bored. I want to do something, but there isn't anything to do around here." Donna announced.

Kory pursed her lips in thought and before long, a light bulb went off in her head.

"I have an idea."

"You do?"

"What are your feelings on video games?" Kory asked Donna with a very sly look on her face.

* * *

Dick came back to the tower exhausted; between listening to his two teammates bicker all day and trying to monitor Garfield's behavior in the supermarket, he'd been spread pretty thin - grocery store day was never an easy task. He juggled four bags of groceries in his arms as he quickly ran into the elevator and pushed the "common room" button before Victor and Gar could make it. How come he didn't just schedule himself to go shopping with the girls instead of the guys? "Oh right," he said out loud. "If I didn't go with them, those two would buy the whole damn store." As soon as the doors opened, Dick's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Donna and Kory's screams.

"X'Hal!"

"NO!"

Dick dropped the bags and rushed into the room, fully prepared to take down whatever it was that had infiltrated the tower security system.

"I was winning!"

"Kory! Donna!" Dick yelled, bounding into the room, not expecting the smoke currently filling it.

"What is going on –" he coughed before he could finish his statement.

The girls shot up from the couch as if they had been caught in a compromising position. "She did it!" Donna pointed at Kory quickly, causing the Tamaranean to huff in shock. "DONNA! You were not supposed to tell!"

Donna shrugged and gave her a look that said, 'sorry'.

"Yes, it is I who destroyed the gaming system; I have to admit that I got a little bit carried away." She looked down at her feet in shame.

"MY PRECIOUS!" Gar screamed as he entered the room. "You killed it!"

"Are you two alright?" Vic immediately left Gar's side and rushed over to the girls and began checking over them for any sign of injury. "Do we need to contact Raven?"

"No, we do not; we are fine Victor, but I am afraid that Garfield's machine is not." She directed her attention to the green changeling that couldn't seem to move from the doorway. "I am terribly sorry. I will find some way to repair it... or perhaps I can purchase you a new one?"

"All my saved progress! Gone!"

Dick still stood there, silent and dumbfounded.

"Kory, what happened?"

"Perhaps I got a little too excited at the racing game and I experienced a slight surge in my powers. I can only assume that since they have been gone for so long, I experienced a small lack of control. I suppose that it was only inevitable."

"So this means that you have your powers back?" Dick asked as he snapped back into reality.

Kory nodded giddily and stuck out her hand to show everyone that she could create a star bolt.

"What's all the commotion in here? Can't a guy sleep in late around here?" Roy asked sleepily as he yawned and stumbled into the common room. "You're lucky that Lian can sleep through anything or else I'd be murdering all of you right now."

Dick finally moved from the spot that he had been planted in for the last few minutes, ran up to Kory and gave her a hug. "This is great news!"

"That doesn't explain anything to me."

"Goldie got her powers back," Victor directed toward Roy.

"Wow, congrats hot stuff," Roy said, ignoring the quick glance from Dick.

"Has everyone completely forgotten about my precious GameStation?"

"Yes" seemed to be the unanimous answer.

Suddenly the elevator doors reopened to reveal a slightly miffed Raven. "What's the deal with all the melted and smashed food in the elevator?"

The statement caused Dick to drop Kory slowly. "Crap."

"Yeah, 'crap'...it's a mess in here."

Everyone walked over to the elevator car that Raven was talking about and cringed at the sight. It was indeed, a huge mess. The eggs, upon being dropped rather abruptly, had all broken and seeped out of the carton and onto everything. Something in the bag had punctured the paper carton of milk causing it to soak all of the boxed meals that had been purchased.

"First my GameStation, now my dinner." He walked into the elevator and picked up the soaked box of tofu. "Do you have any idea how much this stuff costs?" He groaned and made his way back into the smoky common room.

"Calm down, Garfield, I will buy you some more."

"That's all fine and good Dick, but what are we going to do for dinner, tonight?"

"We will just go out to eat," Dick offered. "And I'll pick up everyone's check since I 'ruined dinner'."

Garfield did a fist pump into the air, "Yes! Free dinner, that's kickass!"

"And perhaps we could travel to the mall first so that I could purchase a new GameStation?" Kory asked.

"I could deal with a trip to the mall." Victor added and everyone nodded along with him.

"Delightful! Then it is planned!"

"We could go to La Belle Fille," Gar suggested, blatantly ignoring the looks that he was getting from both Dick and Raven. "Hey guys, if I'm getting a free meal, then I'm going to go for the good stuff. Plus, Mr. Moneybags over here can afford it."

"Don't you think we should ask the entire team where they want to eat, Garfield? It isn't just your decision."

"I would like to go," Kory said softly. "I mean, if it is okay with the rest of the team. La Belle Fille gets my vote."

Kory was as surprised as Dick was; she didn't understand it herself, but she knew that it was something that needed to be done. While Dick had gone back to Gotham, she stumbled across a talk show about people "facing their demons" and moving on past traumatic experiences in their lives. She knew that going to the restaurant would be hard to do, but if she wanted closure, she needed to tackle her fears head on.

"Are you sure?" a soft voice whispered into her ear. "Because you really don't have to do this if you don't want to. You and I can even go eat somewhere else if you like."

Kory nodded to him to show that she was okay; it was time to take control of her life.

* * *

Before she knew it, the day had already flown by and there she was, standing in front of La Belle Fille, waiting to go in and face her 'problem' head on. Too bad her 'problem' had gotten a little more complicated. Before taking a deep breath, Kory heard Dick say, "Go on in and get us a seat, guys. We'll be a few minutes." He knew that something was awry; not much got passed him – not that she was being overly inconspicuous. Dick didn't know the truth; he didn't know why the restaurant made her stomach tie into a thousand knots, that it played a bigger role in that night than she was letting on. He was being a kind and supportive boyfriend and all she was, was a liar.

"It's not too late, you know. If you want to turn around and go home, we can. I brought the cycle just in case."

Kory nervously glanced in his direction, only to just as quickly avert her eyes and focus on the restaurant's entrance. For a fleeting moment, she thought that maybe she should tell him the truth - that maybe, if she did, everything would go away.

"You're not okay. Let me just go in and give them cash to pay for the meal and then we can go back to the tower. Not everything was ruined; I'm sure I can concoct something."

"No," she stopped him abruptly. "No, Dick. I am fine."

"Okay," Dick surrendered, making Kory feel even more guilty. For the longest time, she'd lied in order to keep him from doing something he would regret, but it was obvious that Dick was no stranger at pushing aside anger and resentment in order to do the right thing. She had been stupid for so long; tonight she _had _to tell him - _everything. _Dick's green glove reached over and separated her two hands. "Don't worry," he spoke softly, "I'm here." He took her hand and engulfed it with his. "If you want, I'll sit next to you. You can hold my hand under the table."

Kory nodded. She would tell him, but not right now.

"Okay, here we go then." Dick dropped her hand and opened the door, motioning of her to enter first. Her hand now felt cold due to the lack of contact and she placed it on her bicep nervously. "Sorry, Star."

"I understand, Robin." She tried her best to put on a brave face. "Do you spot any of our friends?"

"Yeah," he raised his hand up and pointed to a spot in the back of the restaurant. "There they are."

Kory trailed behind Dick, following him as he made his way through the sea of tables, diners and waiters. When she spotted Chad out of the corner of her eye, she was shocked to find that seeing him didn't affect her as much as she thought it would. In fact, she was eerily calm.

Kory took her seat at the table and allowed Dick to push in her chair. "Thank you, Robin."

"No problem, Star." He smiled at her.

Dick took the seat beside her and discreetly placed his hand over the cup of her knee conveying that his hand was available if she needed it.

"Hey guys, I'm Michelle! I'm going to be your waitress this evening." The blonde server looked absolutely giddy and full of excitement as she fished a notebook and a pen out of her apron. Kory's head nearly snapped off when she whipped around to take a look at their waitress and apparently, she wasn't the only one who was thrown off. Everyone except for Donna, Lian and Roy - who had never been to the restaurant before - and Raven looked at each other incredulously.

"Let me go ahead and get this out of the way: I'm a huge fan of you guys; especially you, Robin. You're my favorite." She finished her statement by winking at him.

Kory was used to fan girls by now; when in costume, he would have his fair share of women following him around. Despite the fact that the public wasn't aware that they were a couple and that it wasn't in her nature to be overly jealous, she didn't appreciate it when human females hit on her boyfriend right in front of her. There was nothing wrong with being protective of that which belonged to you, right? She had been slightly relieved that Chad wasn't serving them, but she wasn't sure she liked this alternative either.

Dick blushed and looked over to Kory, who at the moment, was looking pretty uncomfortable. "Uh, thanks. I guess?"

"No problem!"

"Not that I'm complaining or anything," Garfield commented, "but where's Chad? He's the one that usually waits on us." Raven jabbed him in the side with her elbow. "Ow!"

"Oh! Uhm," Michelle's face twisted into a look that conveyed an emotion that Kory couldn't decode. "I...don't...know...they just assigned me to this area and told me to take this table." She looked around the table. "Do you want me to go and get him instead?"

"No," Dick answered. "It's fine. Right team?"

Everyone nodded.

Upon hearing Dick's approval, Michelle returned to her bubbly self instantly. "So what can I get everyone to drink?"

"Tea."

"A water for me and some apple juice for the kiddo, here."

"Coke."

"I would like some tea too, please."

"Water with a slice of lemon."

"Nothing for me, thanks."

"I'll actually have a glass of wine." Garfield grinned.

"No he won't," Dick turned in his chair and addressed Michelle. "He's not 21. Bring him a root beer."

"Okay then guys and gals," the waitress smiled and snapped her notebook shut. "I will be right back with your drinks."

When she walked off, Garfield spoke. "DUDE, why do you always do that to me? You act like like such a dad sometimes!" He looked over at Roy. "No offense."

"None taken, grass stain." Roy answered back nonchalantly; he was currently preoccupied with Lian's crayons.

"Gwass stain!"

Dick ignored the commotion and addressed the table. "So any reason why Chad would hand over his table?"

"Maybe someone - and by someone, I mean me - requested a different server," Raven stated matter-of-factly from behind a menu. "Got tired of seeing the same old face." She lowered the plastic-covered menu and shot Kory a quick glance. "I just needed a change."

"Well at least she's hot. Although, she probably thinks I'm a loser now. Thanks Robin!"

"You had no chance in hell! You heard her, bro, 'Robin, you're my favorite'." Victor mocked her voice and added a few kissy noises at the end of his statement for effect.

"If I may provide input on that comment –" Kory's statement was already lost in the conversation.

"Plus dude, you're green. Girls that look like that, don't date guys that look like you." Roy said, still coloring on his daughter's kids menu.

Gar's jaw dropped. "What? Must I remind you that –"

"Red Arrow, be nice and try to set a good example for your child," Donna scolded him and turned her attention to his daughter. "It's not the outside that counts, Lian. It's what's on the inside."

"Don't lie to her Donna." Roy finally looked up from his activity. "I chose to take the 'upfront parenting' approach."

Donna rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."

"I bet I have more girls after me than you do, arrow boy." Gar huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. " In fact, I just had sex the other night."

"Bro! The hot brunette from The Warehouse?" Victor interrogated, hoping to receive more information.

"The one and only."

"Score!" The best friends exchanged high-fives.

"I do not think I want to hear any more of this conversation." Kory's comment once again became drowned in the conversation.

"So yeah, 'Red Arrow' when was the last time that you got laid?" Garfield antagonized.

"This is disgusting! There is a kid at the table in case anyone's forgotten." Donna spoke up, hoping to extinguish the conversation.

"Oh please, when you went to The Warehouse, you wore one of those dumbass hologram rings; don't even try to deny it." When Roy didn't receive a response from Garfield, he continued. "I rest my case. That means, that whatever went down between you and the 'hot brunette' doesn't count, because you weren't really you." Roy smiled; he loved it when he was right. "By the way, Donna, she's my kid. I would rather her hear about this kind of stuff than be sheltered from it."

"ENOUGH!" Dick slammed his fist on the table, unintentionally causing a scene.

"Stop bickering, you three!" Dick ordered, seething through his teeth. "Can we please try to act like civilized people here? Is it that hard?"

"I need to visit the restroom," Kory said as she stood up from her seat. "I will be right back."

"Starfire..." Dick sighed exasperatingly.

"I'll go with you." Donna stood up and they walked toward the restrooms together.

"Wow, I wonder what got into them?" Roy asked, grabbed one of Lian's crayons, and began to draw on her menu again.

Dick just groaned as he suck back into his seat and ran his hands through his ebony locks.

* * *

Donna shoved open the bathroom door and quickly checked under the stalls to make sure that no one else was in there. After she was assured that they were alone, she began her rant. "Of all the insufferable jackasses in the world...Kory, he makes me so angry! I can't stand him sometimes!"

Kory nodded as she continued to listen to her friend rave on about Roy.

"Seriously, Kory, I can't believe I keep having sex with him. What's wrong with me?"

"Keep? You had sex with him again?" She asked in disbelief.

"I can't help it! Old habits die hard, I guess. I just don't get it; in private he can be so nice and sweet and then he turns around and acts like a tasteless ogre in front of everyone – including his kid! And you know what the worst part is?"

Kory shook her head in response.

"He never apologizes for anything! Sure he may throw the word sorry out every once in a while, but he doesn't mean it. He just walks around with this devil-may-care attitude and it's infuriating."

Kory walked into one of the stalls and shut the door. "I really do not know what to say, Donna. He has always been like this since I have known him. Perhaps he will do the growing up soon? I am sorry that I am unable to provide you with sufficient advice."

"Kory, it's okay really. Just knowing that I have an ear out there that will listen to my nonsense means a lot. I've spent most of my life around a bunch of guys; I don't have that many girlfriends. I'm close to my sister, but it's really hard for me to talk to her about guys. Especially guys like Roy."

"I understand, Donna. Your friendship definitely means a lot to me, as well."

"Aw, Kor. If you weren't peeing I would totally hug you right now."

Both girls laughed and Donna let out a sigh afterward. "I better go back out there before the waitress comes back; I'll keep her away from Dick until you get back."

As soon as Kory said, "yeah, thanks" Donna was out of the door, leaving her to occupy the bathroom all by herself.

After a few more seconds, Kory left her stall and made her way to the sink. After washing her hands and taking a few seconds to inspect herself in the mirror and fix her appearance, she grabbed the door's handle and pulled it open. She jumped back in shock when she was met by someone on the other side.

"Kory."

"Get away from me." Kory tried to walk around 'obstacle' blocking her path, but they side-stepped, refusing to let her pass.

"I just need to speak to you; It won't take long." The voice seemed sad, almost desperate.

"Too bad that I do not wish to speak to you." She stopped avoiding his eyes and turned to glare at him. "Let me pass, now."

"Look, I just need to say something. Five minutes."

Kory crossed her arms over her chest.

"Please?"

"Fine; say your peace. Your five minutes start now."

"Not here," he looked around, "it's too public. Follow me." He ordered as he started to walk off.

"I am not going to follow you anywhere; especially to a place that is more 'private'. How stupid do you think I am? Do you actually harbor hope that I might trust you after what you did to me?" Kory felt her voice begin to rise and forced herself to calm down by taking a couple of deep breaths. "This was a mistake. I no longer care to hear what you have to say." She turned on her heels, but before she could start walking, she felt a hand grab her wrist and hold her back.

"Okay, we can talk here," he surrendered. "Just keep your voice down okay?"

"I will keep my voice down if I feel like it; you do not have the right to press orders on me."

Chad sighed and made Kory more impatient. "You can sigh all you want, but according to my calculations you only have three-and-a-half minutes left to talk."

* * *

"Are you sure Starfire was okay when you left the bathroom?"

"Just as sure as I was the other two times that you asked me," Donna gave him a weird look. "What's wrong with you?"

"Yeah! Why are you so freaked out man? Can't be away from her for two seconds without getting antsy?" Roy teased.

"I know I ask this a lot, but why are we even friends?"

"Because, pigeon, when you're around me, you look better by comparison." Roy finished, but then corrected himself. "Morals wise, of course."

"Daddy, I'm hungwy!"

"Me too, sweetheart." Roy placed his hand on Lian's back in order to calm her down. "We will get our food soon enough, okay? We just have to order it first."

Dick shifted his chair away from the table. "I'm going to go check on her; she's been having a rough time lately."

"It's a restroom Robin - a girl's restroom. Maybe one of us should check –" Raven offered before she was interrupted.

"I can handle it, okay? Maybe all she needs is a hug." Dick insisted, realizing how weird the phrase sounded but really not caring.

"'Maybe all she needs is a hug'," Roy mocked him. "You sound like a chick!"

The comment elicited a few chuckles. Dick grunted and made a mental note to punish them all later during training, but right now, he needed to check on his girlfriend. "I'll be right back."

* * *

"Kory, I'm not looking for forgiveness; I just want you to understand a few things."

Dick's ears perked up as soon as he heard his girlfriend's name. He entered the hallway and quickly took refuge in a dark crevice, keeping out of eyesight but remaining within earshot. He hated to eavesdrop, but he slid his moral high ground to the side as curiosity got the best of him. This place obviously held answers about what happened to Kory and if she wasn't going to fill him in, he might as well hear it from the source.

"That is good, because I will _never_ forgive you."

"I know that," Chad said, sounding dejected. "But I've loved you for so long, I couldn't stand to see you with him; you belong with _me_. Don't you see that? When you told me that you two broke up, I got excited and a little overzealous with the liquor - that led to me doing things that I'm not very proud of."

Dick felt his blood begin to boil as he stretched his neck around the corner he was standing behind, desperately hoping to catch a glimpse of their body language. He quickly dismissed the idea; there was no way he would be able to watch without being seen.

"We do belong together."

"I've seen how he treats you; it's nothing less than vile."

"How dare you talk about my relationship when you know nothing about it," Kory formed a star bolt in her hands, unbeknownst to Dick. "Also, you speak of vile things that he has done; yet, nothing can ever compare to what you have done to me."

"I'm sorry."

"You are sorry?" Kory's voice began to waiver.

"That is all you can say? You ruined my life! Do you understand that?" Kory cried, causing Dick to choke on his breath. In some ways, he'd known all along – he wasn't an idiot – but he'd clung to the hope that Kory wouldn't lie to him about something this monumental. He closed his eyes and attempted to control his breathing.

"I am not here to make excuses, Kory. I need you to understand that everything I have done - even the most deplorable - I have done because I love you." Chad said with a soft voice. "Kory, you have to know who -"

"You raped me because you loved me?" She interrupted. "There is no logic in that! You are truly a demented human being; that is the only thing that I need to understand."

Dick couldn't listen to it anymore; a part of him wanted to go home and forget that he'd heard any of it, but unfortunately, the anger bubbling up inside him wouldn't allow him. He stepped out from behind his corner and honed his eyes in on Chad; crowded restaurant or not, Chad was going to suffer. There would be justice for what was done; if Kory didn't want to take care of it, he sure as hell would.

* * *

"Kory, you just need to hear me out," Chad groaned in frustration. "If you would just stop for a second -"

Kory wiped her eyes with her index fingers. "Your five minutes are up." She quickly spun around and saw her boyfriend standing in the hallway, fists clenched and eyes full of rage.

"Wait!" Chad called out to her until he saw what caused her to freeze in her place.

She watched Dick shift his eyes continuously between Chad and herself, waiting for someone to offer up an explanation. Even though he had a mask on, she could see the hurt lying underneath all of the fury. Yet again, she had managed to royally mess things up just when they had started to get back to normal. There were no words that could even possibly begin to explain things and even if there were, right now wouldn't be the time to say them. Besides, he wasn't the only one angry about this situation; she was also. How dare Chad corner her outside of the ladies room and demand a heart-to-heart? How dare he bring back to the surface, all of those terrible memories?

Kory sucked in a breath and closed her eyes; if she didn't hurry out of there, it would only be a matter of time before she lost her composure again. Avoiding the masked gaze of her angry boyfriend, Kory brushed past him, bumping him on the shoulder, and then began a sprint down the hallway. She didn't bother to look back at Dick; she knew that he was watching her leave.

Once she reached her friends back at the table, she realized that her attempts to compose herself were failed; they saw right through her. She tried to tune out their concern, briefly catching bits and pieces of their conversation. Kory flopped down into her chair and nodded in Victor's direction, not even knowing what he said, before she grabbed her glass of water and began chugging it down.

"Robin went off in search of you," Raven looked at her suspiciously. "Did you find him?"

Kory just nodded again, retracting completely into her own thoughts; this wasn't going to end well.

* * *

Chad and Dick remained at a stalemate, neither one of them moving or speaking in fear that one wrong move would cause a rather unfortunate outcome. Even though he wasn't saying anything aloud, Dick's mind was screaming - shouting - at him demanding that he step up and do something, like he would the Joker or Two-Face or any other piece of scum that roamed the streets thinking they were invincible. Kory had just walked off; there was no one around to stop him. Dick tried to decipher the expression on Chad's smug face, but couldn't. He couldn't tell if the snake was actually sorry, or if this had been in his plan all along.

"Okay, we can't stare at each other all night," Chad broke the silence first. "Let's just go ahead and get this confrontation over with; I have work to do."

The comment was enough to push Dick over the edge and his body officially took over as his mind struggled to keep up with everything that was going on. Dick hastily shoved Chad into the men's bathroom and threw him up against the white tiled wall while holding him up by his neck.

"Don't get that fucking cocky attitude with me," Dick growled. "I ought to kill you."

"You wouldn't." Chad chocked out.

"I wouldn't test me." Dick abruptly released the grip on his neck and watched him drop to the floor. "Not right now."

Feeling as though he needed to take out a little more aggression, Dick grabbed the collar of Chad's shirt and pulled him off the floor, throwing a right hook into his eye. Dick then picked Chad back up and used his bostaff to keep him pressed against the wall, making sure that he had eye contact.

"What were you thinking, huh? Why would you ever do something like that? And don't give me any of that 'I love her' bullshit because I'm not fucking buying it." he pressed down on his bostaff to apply more pressure to his chest.

"What makes you think that I owe _you_ any kind of explanation," Chad said snidely. "Do your worst, boy blunder, I can take whatever you can dish out."

Dick let out a frustrated scream as he punched Chad in the face a second time. "Answer me!" When he didn't receive a response, he snapped. "Fine then, take this." Dick swiftly brought up his knee and harshly connected it with Chad's groin, causing him to cough, clutch his stomach and tumble to the ground in agony.

"What the fuck man? Guys aren't supposed to do that to other guys; that was a low blow." As soon as the words left Chad's mouth, Dick issued a kick to his chin that flipped him backwards and left him lying on his back in a vulnerable position.

"It's also a low blow to try and seduce someone else's girlfriend; but hey, that didn't stop you did it?"

"Why do you even care?"

"You're lucky I live by a code of ethics." Dick said, gaining his composure.

"Oh, yes; can't you just hear me down here thanking my lucky stars?"

"What the fuck is your problem?" Dick asked as he stood over the figure that was still lying down on his back. "Don't you feel any remorse for what you did?"

"What do you want me to say, Robin? Like I said before, I don't owe you anything."

"You owe me everything, you sorry piece of shit!" Dick broke all resolve. He straddled Chad's chest and wrapped his hands around his throat. "You ruined my relationship! Sure we had our problems, but we would have worked through them! Because of you, she's turned into this person that I don't even recognize anymore!"

Dick didn't realize it, but tears had begun to form in his eyes and before he could suppress them, they were flowing rather profusely.

"I hope you're happy you son of a bitch!" Dick yelled as he tightened his grip. "I hope you realize what you've done!"

"Dick!"

Dick was swiftly lifted off Chad and he yelped in pain as his friend held his arms behind his back. Refusing to surrender, he bucked against it. "Let me go!"

"No! I'm not going to do that. At least, not until you calm the fuck down," Roy said forcefully. "Stop making this hard or I will tie your hands together."

"Fine!" Dick yelled as started to lose the feeling in both of his arms.

"Fine, you'll stop? Or fine, tie my hands together!?"

"Fine! I'll stop!"

"Okay," Roy released his hold. "I trust you."

Dick shook his arms around to get rid of the numbness. "I had it handled, you know." Dick turned away from Roy and used his hands to wipe away any of the tears that hadn't dried; he refused to let Roy to see him cry.

"Yeah, it sure looks like that," Roy said as he looked down at a seemingly unconscious body lying on the floor.

Dick glanced over at Chad's body and ran his fingers through his hair. "Whatever."

"Yeah, whatever," Roy sounded slightly annoyed. "Not only did you reveal your identity, but you did it to a guy that you almost killed; I'm sure your secret's safe with him."

"He'll be fine; he's breathing."

"Let's hope so!"

"To be honest, I really don't fucking care if he isn't." Dick stomped over to the bathroom door and swung it open with full force. "I'm going home."

He finally reached the table where his friends were carrying on like nothing even happened; much like the rest of the restaurant. Raven glanced at him before returning her attention back to the book she was reading.

"Dude, thank God you're back, I'm starving and we are all ready to order." Garfield rubbed his stomach as if it would help him to prove his point.

"Actually, I'm out of here." Dick reached into his utility belt, pulled out a wad of cash and threw it on the table. "Go crazy."

As he stormed out of the restaurant, he knew everyone's eyes were on him – and for the first time, he didn't care. As soon as he made it out the door he placed the palms of his hands on his temples and applied a large amount of pressure, hoping it would help him calm down. When it didn't work, he screamed out loud and began taking his aggression out on a nearby trashcan.

"Robin, are you okay?"

"Do I look okay to you?" he said as he avoided eye contact.

"Not really."

"Then you have your answer."

Kory walked up from behind him and lifted up the trashcan that he had just kicked to the ground. "You are not acting like yourself."

The comment took him by surprise at first, he turned to her and raised his eyebrow; however, after mulling it over for a few seconds, Dick couldn't help but laugh at all the irony rolled up into the statement; it really didn't make him look any less crazy, but he didn't care about that either. "That's the funniest shit I've heard in a while."

"I do not get it."

Dick rolled his eyes, "Of course you don't," Dick said, realizing that he was being mean. "You never get anything." He started walking toward his motorcycle, leaving Kory behind him on the sidewalk.

"Robin, will you please wait for me?"

Dick ignored her and walked away even faster.

"Robin! Talk to me this instant!" She demanded.

Once he got to the motorcycle, he revved up the motor and switched the bike into gear. "I'm not going to discuss this here; if you want to talk, meet me back at the tower." And with those words he took off leaving Kory behind to breathe in the exhaust fumes.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Disclaimer**: See Prologue

**Updated June 2013**

* * *

**.:. Bound To You.:.**

Chapter 13

* * *

Kory stood motionless for a few minutes, trying to register what had just happened. Did he really drive off, leaving her standing in the middle of a parking lot?

_"I'm not going to discuss this here; if you want to talk, meet me back at the tower."_

"Oh no, he did not!" Kory growled. "He's not getting out of this that easily." Her current state of anger was enough to fuel her flight - even though she was unable to appreciate at the moment - as she burst into the air, flying at her top speed. "Y'ktor namor vran'elk blarkfan!" she mumbled to herself in Tamaranean as she cut through the sky. "Inconsiderate flark'en chlorbag."

She found herself landing on the tower's roof, a full five minutes before Dick's estimated arrival time - by her calculations. Kory took out the communicator that she stored in her costume and punched in an access code; she would wait for him in the common room; no way he could avoid her there.

Kory plopped down on the couch and tapped her foot impatiently; to say she was upset would have been an understatement, but the longer she sat, the more she realized that the whole situation had been her fault. She cursed inwardly at herself for not telling him about Chad sooner - why did she allow herself to think that not telling him was a better alternative to the truth? Why did she convince herself that Dick couldn't handle that information? She heard the sound of his cycle's motor revving in the distance and took a deep breath. He would be coming in any minute now. She began running though scripts in her head, desperately trying to figure out what she was going say.

Her ears perked up as soon as she heard the familiar swish of the front entrance; he was now in the tower. She stood up, composing herself in such a manner that she looked prepared for whatever he was going to dish out. However, what he dished out - was nothing. She watched him walk right past her, heading toward the bedrooms.

"Dick, wait."

He didn't; instead, when she got close enough to grab his arm, he shrugged it off violently and kept walking toward his (and her) bedroom.

"I am not just going to go away; you cannot get rid of me this easily." She said to him as she trotted beside him, trying to keep up with his fast-paced walking. "We have to talk about this."

He paused in front of their door and punched in the code, still not breaking his silence. Kory followed him inside the bedroom knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep up the silent treatment for that much longer.

"Being angry with me does not give you the right to treat me like a piece of garbage." Kory stomped her foot on the ground. "You will speak to me right now."

She noticed him go to his closet, throw on some civilian clothes, and then pull out a suitcase - not a duffel bag - like he usually took to Gotham - but an actual suitcase. His silence bred more concern as he started pulling clothes out of the closet and shoving them into the giant suitcase laying open on their bed.

"What are you doing?" she asked, gulping as she swallowed the lump in her throat.

"I have to get out of here for a while," he finally answered. "Don't know when I'll be back."

"Wait, you cannot just leave the Titans like this; we are your team. You have a responsibility."

"I will let the others know how to get in touch with me if needed; I just have to get out of here." He succeeded in putting all of his clothes into the giant suitcase and had now moved over to his dresser. "I'm not leaving the team, just the tower."

"No, you are not." Kory closed his suitcase and flopped down on top of it. "You are not in any condition to be going anywhere."

"I'm only going to ask you once," Dick stated calmly, "get off my suitcase."  
"No, I will not."

"Don't make me use force."

Kory's eyes widened. "You would not!" Then she 'humphed' while crossing her arms over her chest. "I would like to see you try; I am a great deal stronger than you -" She squealed as she was sent tumbling backwards, the suitcase pulled out from underneath her.

"You may be stronger than me, but you aren't heavy." Dick didn't sound amused, but annoyed. He set his suitcase on the ground and began dumping dresser contents into it. When it was full, he zipped and lifted it up - pulling up on the handle as he did so. He wasn't really worried about forgetting anything, whatever was missing could be easily replace once he reached his destination.

Kory quickly recovered and moved to block the doorway.

"Kory, move."

"Please stay here and speak with me!"

"What do you want to know?"

"Why are you leaving?" she asked, not even attempting to hide the desperation in her voice.

"I can't be here."

"Why not just say what you really mean, Dick - you wish to get away from me!"

"You said it, not me."

"I am so sorry about everything. Will you please put down your suitcase and talk to me? You told me if I wanted to talk then I needed to meet you here. Well, I did, so now it is time for you to hold up your end of the bargain." She saw Dick's face drop and she knew that she had finally reached him. "I realize that you are upset with me and I do not blame you."

"...you lied to me..."

"Yes, but..."

"No 'buts' Kory; you lied to me. You looked me right in the face - multiple times I might add - and lied. I feel like an idiot!"

Kory moved away from her spot at the door and walked over to him.

"Dick, I never meant to -" She was taken aback by his immediate outburst, but tried to mask her shock.

"Were you ever going to tell me? If I hadn't overheard your conversation would you have ever told me the truth?"

"I do not know," her nervous reply was met by a very unpleasant groan. "I was considering it! Maybe tonight, but I did not know if I would be able to go through with it." She watched him bury his face into the palm of his hands. "I knew that I would have to, in order to move on from this, but I did not know how to tell you and now you are making me quite nervous and and I am beginning to do the rambling thing..."

"Fuck!" He yelled into his hands.

"Please do not be mad at me."

Dick finally looked her in the eyes. "I'm not mad at you; I'm furious. No, I take that back. I am beyond furious." Kory dropped her head in shame and stared at her feet as he continued to talk. "I'm heart-broken, furious, and confused all at the same time. I don't even think you can begin to fathom how much pain I'm in. I'm fighting just to breathe!"

"Dick, I was not trying to hurt you with all of this."

"Well, you did." Dick answered sharply.

"I do not know why I did it," Kory answered honestly. "At first I convinced myself that telling you was not a good idea, but the more I think about it, the more I realize how stupid I was. I felt that if I told you, you would go out and try to exact revenge on him in my honor and in turn, do something that you would regret."

"Reigning in my emotions and putting aside my need for revenge? It's the story of my goddamn life, Kory! If I could convince myself not to kill the murderer of my fucking parents, what makes you think that I wouldn't be able to exercise restraint for you? But you know what, maybe you're right. Maybe I hold the capacity to do things that I am not very proud of, but had you told me and asked me to stand back and not take action, I would have listened. I would have listened because I love you that fucking much. You just didn't trust me! You haven't trusted me this whole time." He ran his hands through his hair in sheer frustration. "Did you honestly think that I wouldn't find out? I feel like the biggest fucking failure on the planet right now."

"You know that I do not like it when you use such foul lang-"

"Do you really want to go there right now?" He glared at her, causing her to shrink back. Dick continued talking before she could open up her mouth and speak. "For months, I've tried to be the best boyfriend that I could be to you and I felt so guilty every time I had to leave you here and go to Gotham, or when I had to direct all of my attention to a case, or when I had to lock myself in my office for days at a time and catch up on paperwork. Basically, every time I had to do my job. After all of that effort, I still wasn't able to be the type of boyfriend that you could truly open up to. It's obvious now that I wasn't able to help you at all."

"You are wrong! I could not have gotten through any of it without you," Kory was desperately trying to hold in her tears; crying would not help her case right now and she knew she had to keep herself calm in order to prevent another panic attack. "You are not a failure and I wish you would have told me about your feelings of guilt so that I could have helped you dispel them."

"Bruce always told me not to trust anyone over myself," Dick switched subjects as if he had been ignoring all the things that Kory had just said, "to always trust my instincts. I knew it was Chad; I fucking knew it this whole time. But, you kept telling me 'no' and I kept telling myself that you'd never outwardly lie to me about something this important."

Kory was speechless; she didn't think that it would be possible to feel lower than she already did.

"He always fed me this stupid bullshit about aliens and meta-humans and how I always needed to be on guard. Of all people, Kory, I never thought that you would be the one to prove him right."

She couldn't bite back the anguish any longer; tears began flowing freely down her golden cheek and her lips began to quiver from the sobs that she desperately wanted to scream out, but held back.

"I do not like this person that I've become...I lie...I hide things..."

"What does this mean? How can I even trust you anymore? How do I know that in the future, you wouldn't hide something from me just to keep me from getting angry!" He yelled. "What else are you hiding from me?!"

"Nothing! I promise! There is nothing else." Kory's legs gave out and she dropped to the floor, crying into the palms of her hands.

"What happened was your business; I get that. That's why I never asked too many questions and I pretty much let you have your space about the whole issue. The fact you lied to me so easily, really bothers me," Dick admitted as he forced himself to take deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. "You want to talk about restraint - that's why I'm leaving. I just have to get out of here before I do or say something that I will end up regretting."

"...maybe you would be much better off without me..."

"What are you talking about now?" Dick demanded from her, almost angrily.

"Maybe we should go on a hiatus...a break," she suggested. Kory knew that threatening Dick with a break-up wouldn't help, but she didn't know what else to do or say. Her self-esteem had crashed to an all time low and then only thing she could think about is how much she had managed to destroy not only her life, but his as well. "Let us be honest with ourselves, perhaps this relationship was falling apart way before my misfortune only came in and complicated things a bit more."

"This is a joke, right? Ladies and gentleman, just when you thought that Dick Grayson's life couldn't get more fucked up..." Dick tilted his head and looked up at the ceiling. "What are you going to do to me next? Seriously? You may as well kick me while I'm down!"

"Why are you talking to the ceiling?" Kory asked in concern.

"Why are you trying to break up with me?"

"I cannot bear to bring you any more disappointment." Kory bowed her head.

"Kory," Dick said her name softly, "you don't -" he was immediately cut off.

"It has been on my mind for a while now; I just did not want to do it because I knew that it would be hard. I know now, that it is only the right thing to do. I love you too much to cause you any more pain and with everything that has been going on in my life lately, I can only see things getting much worse."

"You've been thinking about it for a while? You've been planning to dump me? For how long?" Dick's voice came out a little more high pitched than he would've liked.

"I... I...I did not really mean it the way that it sounded..." Kory tried to backtrack; as soon as she realized what she had said, she instantly regretted it.

"What did you mean then?" Dick narrowed his eyes at her, demanding an explanation.

"I have not been thinking about it for a while, I simply said that in order to make you more angry at me so that you would accept the break-up. I just know that things may not get better with me; in fact, there is a strong possibility that things could get significantly worse...I...just.." Kory quickly wiped away a group of tears that had accumulated on her cheek.

"This conversation is done." Dick threw up his hands in frustration before grabbing the handle of his suitcase. "I'm not listening to this any longer; you're just trying to mess with my head."

Kory rushed over and retook her guard in front of the door. "What? No, that is not -"

"Kory, move away from the door. Now!"

"No! I will not!" Kory just glared at him as her eyes began to glow bright green.

"Screw the suitcase, I don't need it; I'll just go shopping tomorrow. The press will have a field day when they see that Dick Grayson is without his girlfriend; hell, I may even use their attention as a chance to announce my renewed bachelor status." Dick sneakily made his way toward his bedroom window as he spoke words that he knew would break her heart. "You brought this on yourself, Kory. Just remember that." He jacked open the window and climbed out.

"Dick," Kory ran over to the window and yelled out to him as he descended down the ladder. "Please! I love you and I wish to work through this. Please, do not leave me." She watched him pause momentarily as if he were actually considering her request, but her hope was quickly extinguished when he didn't change his mind.

Kory took out her aggression on Dick's overstuffed suitcase by giving it a forceful kick and sending it crashing into the wall. "Koriand'r you have really done it now; you have officially ruined everything."

Kory knew her flight wouldn't be too dependable at the moment, so she climbed down Dick's bedroom ladder and started to sprint towards the garage; she hoped that she would be able to catch him before he left. She hadn't heard his motorcycle speed off yet and that meant that he still had to be there; she was betting on it. When she finally reached the garage she saw no site of him, but saw his motorcycle still sitting in its place.

"Dick, are you in here?" Kory looked around the garage and didn't see anyone. "If you are here, please answer me." She walked through the garage to the slightly more hidden car storage area. Victor always modified their vehicles using old ones, so the car section consisted of a Titan's car graveyard - car hulls and parts scattered around everywhere - and sitting in the back lot, Dick's Maserati. Or at least it should have been.

Dick only took the Maserati when he wanted to show off in public; he used to use it when he went on "fake dates" when he and Kory had first started dating, but then they went public with their relationship and he hadn't really driven it much since. "He wants to look single." She said out loud to herself, knowing then that there was no stopping him. Kory's body gave out and crashed to the ground with a 'thud'. Her outbreak in the garage was met by a pair of headlights and a carload of very concerned friends.

"Kory ...in Azar's name... what happened?" Raven asked as she flew out of the car and rushed to the side of her pain stricken friend.

"He...left..." Kory grabbed Raven, took her into a hug and cried into her shoulder.

Raven's eyes widened and she looked to Garfield for assistance signaling to him that she was obviously not good with these types of situations.

"Kory, it'll be okay, you know Dick; he'll come back as soon as he calms down-" he really didn't know what was going on, so Garfield hoped that his generic "he just needs to calm down speech" applied to this situation.

"No, he will not; it is serious this time. He took the sports car - he never takes the sports car. He's going to tell everyone that we broke up and there is nothing I can do to stop it because I do not know where he is or when he will be back because he told me that he was leaving the tower and he did not know when he would be back and that he would be in contact with all of you to tell you what to do." Kory took a ragged breath. "This is all my fault and there is nothing I can do about it or stop it what do I do? What am I supposed to do?"

"Okay stop. You aren't making any sense and you're starting to ramble; you need to calm down." Raven pulled away from her and lightly shook Kory. "Why did Dick leave?"

"He found out." She looked at Raven who was nodding along as if she knew exactly what Kory was talking about. "We had a fight and then I broke up with him."

"You broke up with him?! Why?!" Victor joined the conversation while he reached over and picked Kory up off of the ground.

"I...do...not...know..." Kory sobbed.

"Okay, well Goldie, you need to calm down and we need some answers. Let's get you upstairs." Victor wrapped his arm around her and began to lead her toward the elevator. "I have a feeling this may turn into a team meeting."

"Okay guys, let me go tuck this little rascal into bed and I'll be back," Roy said as he walked passed the other Titans carrying a sleeping Lian on his hip. "Hot stuff, don't you worry. We'll get to the bottom of this." He quickly patted Kory on the shoulder and then took off toward the bedrooms.

"Okay Kory, can you start from the beginning? What happened?" Donna carefully walked around the couch and took a seat next to the sobbing Tamaranean.

"It really is all of my fault; I lied."

"Okay, we get that you lied and he got mad. You have said that about a hundred times!" Garfield groaned in annoyance. "What did you lie about?"

"Gar, do you have any class?" Raven glared before walking over to Kory and sitting on the opposite side of her.

"Just ignore him Kory, you really don't have to disclose anything that you don't feel comfortable with."

"It is okay, friends. I may as well come clean with it now," she said, taking a deep breath, "Chad raped me." She cringed when she spoke; she hated those words.

"CHAD?! WHAT?!" Gar and Victor simultaneously exclaimed in disbelief. Only the cyborg was able to find the words to conclude the statement. "No way."

"Yes," Kory sniffed. "I should have let Dick know from the very beginning, but of course, I did not."

"Kory," Donna placed a sympathetic hand on her friend's shoulder before continuing, "I know Dick pretty well and he really loves you, he'll come back. Do you have any idea where he went?"

"I do not."

"Okay boys and girls, what's the dealio?" Roy burst into the room sans costume. "Sorry it took so long; I decided to change."

"Kory lied to Dick about Chad raping her; tonight he found out and freaked out." Victor got to the point, but Roy cut him off before he could finish.

"Okay..." Roy nodded as he absorbed all of the information. "Makes a lot of sense. In that case, he's probably just riding around a bit to clear his mind. He'll be back soon enough on his own accord; you just have to let him breathe a little bit. All we can hope for is that he doesn't take his anger out on anyone else while he's out there."

"You didn't let me finish - Kory broke up with him."

Roy's smile faded and he looked to the other team members, cursing the confirmation that was written all over their faces.

"At the conclusion of our altercation, he calmly said some very hateful things that really lead me to believe that –"

"Kory, why would you do that?" Roy burst his question through her mousy statement, the evident anger seeping through his voice. "When I saw him last, he was extremely fucked up; surely you wouldn't have broken up with him while he was in such a condition. Don't you know better than to kick a man while he's down?"

"Roy, don't yell at her!"

"Someone around here needs to take his side, Donna!"

"No!" Kory screamed as she stood up, turning her tear-stained face to meet his. "I will not be yelled at by you," she glanced around the room at the other Titans. "I will not be lectured by anyone. This is my business - mine and Dick's - and as much as I love you all, it really does not concern any of you. Dick informed me that he would still be fulfilling his role as team leader, so the situation between he and I have nothing to do with this team." Kory paused for a moment and wiped her eyes. "There are no 'sides' to take. I know I am in the wrong and I fully realize that I have made a monumental error in judgment. I am not feeling so well. I am going to bed now."

The Titans watched Kory struggle to hold her composure as she exited the room somberly.

"Way to go, Roy." Raven stood up from the couch and walked over to Donna. "We should go and talk to her." Donna nodded in agreement.

"If I were Dick, I'd be pissed off too. She's going to fucking dump him after all this bullshit that she put him through? Hell no."

"Could you fit any more curse words into that statement? I don't think you used enough."

"Shut up, Donna, I'm not in the mood to hear any shit from you right now."

Garfield spoke up in attempt to mediate the argument. "Okay, dudes, we need to stay on task here; we need to find Dick. Now I have a feeling that he is still in Jump City. Maybe we should all split up and -"

"That won't be necessary, green man," Roy walked over and grabbed his coat off of the hook it was hanging from. "I know exactly where he is."

"Where?" Raven and Victor asked together.

"That's not important." he shrugged his jacket on and picked his bike helmet up off the ground. "I'll be back later - with the boy wonder."

Roy walked out of the door, immediately fished the cellphone out of his pocket and tried to dial Dick's number. He knew that Dick probably wouldn't answer, but it was worth a try at least. His assumptions were correct: No answer.

Roy sighed and sprinted down the seven flights of stairs that eventually led him to the Tower's front lawn - the exact place that he had parked his motorcycle. The mission to bring him back wasn't going to be easy; he sure wasn't looking forward to the rest of the night - it was going to be emotional and intense. He hated emotional and intense.

"Dick's been like this before," he said out loud. "and if this is going to be anything like last time, I'm going to need some help." Before mounting his bike, he flipped his cell phone open again and began to scroll through his contacts.

"A...B...C...D..."

"J...K...L...M"

"T...U...V...W"

He stopped on a name, pressed dial, and pressed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey man," Roy answered. He cradled the phone between his shoulder and his ear while pulling on his gloves. "I hope you aren't busy right now."

"Why, what's up?" the voice on the other end of the line asked curiously. "Before you ask, no, I'm not going to babysit for you again- don't you have a tower full of Titans for that now?"

"No, this doesn't have anything to do with Lian. We have a code Dick."


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer: **See Prologue.

**Updated June 2013**

* * *

**.:. Bound To You .:.**

Chapter 14

* * *

Roy sighed as he pulled up to his destination and saw that Wally hadn't made it there yet; he was the fastest man alive, but couldn't get to downtown Jump City first. Roy glanced up at the tall building standing before him; camouflaged between two equally boring office buildings stood Jump City's "Wayne Tower." It was anything but grandiose and in fact, the few people actually staying there probably didn't even know that it was a Wayne property.

Roy took a long drag of the cigarette in his hand and glanced back at his motorcycle parked in one of the '15 minute parking' spots. "Dick better not make me get a fucking ticket," he grumbled to himself. "How the hell am I even going to get into this place?" At a little past eleven, the building looked like it was locked up like Fort Knox.

As far as Roy knew, there were only two ways to get into the penthouse - the front door and the 'underground' entrance. Secret cave access was out of the question; the security on that was more than impenetrable. The doors, no doubt, were electronically dead-bolted and there was no way that Dick would willingly 'buzz' him in. No, he - and Wally too, if he'd ever show up - were going to have to get sneaky.

Roy finished his cigarette and smashed it into the sidewalk with his foot; usually, he would have picked it up but tonight, he wasn't in the mood. "About damn time."

Wally screeched to a halt behind him, shrugging on a light jacket. "Don't get antsy," Wally said, flattening out the wrinkles in his pants. "I made it here, didn't I?"

Roy just grunted and continued to stare at the building, mapping out - or attempting to map out - some sort of game plan.

"I know, I know, you don't even have to say it. I had to make an appearance at The Watchtower first."

"It's not that," Roy looked over to his friend. "I'm trying to figure out how to get Dick out of his nest."

"Yeah, about that. What's the deal? We haven't had Code Dick since, well, we coined the phrase Code Dick." Wally asked, taking the opportunity to also glance up at the skyscraper. "It can't be as bad as last time - Bruce isn't involved is he?"

"Nah," Roy started walking around the building, encouraging Wally to follow suit. He kept trying to open every door and emergency exit that he saw; nada. "I'm honestly pretty confused about it myself. Kory was raped and apparently -"

"Wait, whoa! Kory was raped?! When?!"

"You're asking me like I know the details; I don't. I just found out tonight All I know is that it was a guy they both knew and –"

"I can't believe that happened! Is she okay?"

"Wally! Focus! Obviously she's okay; just let me finish!" Roy hushed him quietly. "Now, they both knew the guy and she kept it a secret; Dick found out tonight and went a little crazy and then she broke up with him." Roy noticed that Wally was preparing to bombard him with a load of questions. "Don't ask, I really don't know any details and back at the tower, I kind of blew up at Kory and she retreated to her room before I was able to get any; so yeah, just don't ask. Save it for Dick."

"You yelled at Kory? Damn. Dick's gonna - "

"Dick's not going find out about it and yeah, I realize that it wasn't my finest moment; it's been a very long night." Roy sighed dejectedly. "Which is even more reason why we should stop stalling around out here and get this over with."

"Okay, well, I say we keep it simple," Wally said.

"Okay?" Roy crunched his eyebrows as they made it back to the front entrance of the building.

"I'm going to bet that door is still open and that there is a security guard standing inside."

Roy crossed his arms. "That's all you got? I expected more from a member of the Justice League."

Wally cleared his throat and carefully ignored his comment. "And maybe all we'll need to do is tell the security guard that we need to speak to Dick Grayson and that it is an urgent matter." Wally began walking toward the tower entrance, causing Roy to follow him.

"Pretending that theory of yours is right, you think that security of Wayne Tower is just going to give us access to the penthouse like that?" Roy snapped his fingers. "You've flipped your shit."

"Do you have any other suggestions?" Wally asked as he tried to pull open the door; no budge. "Crap."

"As a matter of fact, Wallace, I do." Roy flipped open his cell phone and dialed a number while he grinned at Wally and silently cursed himself for not thinking of this idea earlier. He smiled when he heard the familiar greeting on the other end of the line - just like good old times.

"Yes, hello, Alfred? This is Roy."

"AND WALLY!"

"Yes, and Wally," Roy rolled his eyes. "We need a favor..."

* * *

**"**You really need to calm down," Raven said, trying to console her friend. "Everything will work out fine, I think?"

Donna quickly looked over to Raven and mouthed, "you think that's gonna help?"

Raven shrugged in response and used hand motions to indicate that Donna should give it a try. Accepting her challenge willingly, Donna walked over to the side of the bed and kneeled beside a distraught Koriand'r.

"Kory," Donna said softly as she stroked the back of her hair, "Raven's right you know; everything's going to work out fine. Right now, Roy's on his way to pick up Dick and bring him back."

"It does not matter," Kory yelled into her pillow. "He will not want to speak with me! I know it!" Kory continued to talk, but because of the pillow - and the crying - neither Donna nor Raven could understand what she was saying.

"Kory, you are going to have to take your head out of the pillow, we can't understand you."

"I said, who is to say that Roy will bring Dick back? Is it not kind of a custom on Earth to take a recently single friend out to a club or bar to help him 'get back in the game'?" Kory rolled over onto her back and threatened to put the pillow back over her face, but Donna quickly snatched it away. "Roy already pretty much told me that I was a horrible person, why would he be concerned with bringing Dick back here? Dick could be having sex with someone else as we speak."

"Kory I'm surprised at you," Donna said honestly. "You've been dating Dick, five, six years? You should know better."

The statement caused Kory to stop crying, at least for the time being, and turn her head toward Donna.

"He loves you; he wouldn't go off and have sex with another woman. If he let you get away that easily, he'd be stupid; Dick is a lot of things. Stubborn, slightly cocky, he's a show off..." Raven cleared her throat, pulling Donna back on point. "But, he's not stupid. Once all of this blows over, he'll be back, ready to talk things out."

"Do you really think so?" Kory asked, hope finally sparking in her emerald eyes.

"I know so; as for Roy, I wouldn't worry about him. Everything he said to you was a stab at me, I'm sure. He adores you, Kory; there's no way he meant to yell at you like that."

"Why would Roy be taking stabs at you?" Raven asked.

"Let's just say that Kory and Dick weren't the only two people to have a massive blow-out tonight."

* * *

"So calling Alfred was an ingenious move, I can't get over it," Wally stated as he entered a four digit code - provided by Alfred- and he and Roy exited the elevator, finding themselves in the middle of the Wayne Tower penthouse. "Okay, where is he?"

As if on cue, they heard familiar music coming from a closed off room to the left of them.

"So, it's safe to say that he's in there?" Wally used his thumb to point to the closed off room.

"This isn't good; he only listens to Bad Religion when he's really upset and I haven't heard him listen to that band since -"

"He and Bruce had their falling out. Okay, this is what we're going to do. Roy, you knock on the door pretending to be security and when he opens the door, I will run in."

"Okay." Roy followed his commands and walked to the closed door, knocking loudly so that Dick made sure to hear him over his loud music. When Roy didn't receive an answer, he spoke - disguising his voice. "Excuse me, this is security, we noticed activity up here and I came up here to investigate. If you wouldn't mind, can whoever's inside please come to the door and show some identification?"

"Doors unlocked," said in melancholy, were the only words to leave the mouth of the person sitting on the opposite side of the door.

Roy and Wally looked to each other and shrugged before entering the room.

"You use the same voice for everything, I don't know if you realize it, but you do," said the obviously depressed Dick Grayson, who was currently lying on the penthouse's custom-made California king-sized bed. "I figured you would've come for me sooner or later."

"I'm surprised you let us in," Roy yelled over the music. Looking around the room, he noticed an outfit on the end of the bed and a barely touched glass of scotch on the bedside table. "Going somewhere?"

Dick picked up the remote beside him and shut off the music originating from the entertainment center in front of them. "I was."

"Man, I'm really sorry," Wally, said sympathetically. "Roy told me what happened; it really sucks."

"Yeah."

"Where were you going?" Roy interrogated further.

"I don't know, Roy: Manhattan, Gotham, Europe – anywhere, but I haven't been able to move from this spot since I got here."

"You aren't going anywhere; you need to stay here and sort everything out before you leave the city."

Dick sat up in the bed and looked at his two friends as they stood in front of him with their arms crossed. "Everything is already sorted out, Roy. I'm sure both of you were filled in - it's over."

"Dick, come on. You know it isn't over," Wally reasoned. "She only broke-up with you so that you wouldn't break up with her first. That's what girls do. She was acting on the offense so that she wouldn't have to be on the defense."

Dick and Roy looked at him a bit strange causing him to swallow a lump in his throat. "Too many sports references?" His question was answered with two affirmative nods.

"I have to agree with Flasher, here. She probably thought that you'd break up with her first." Roy offered up his opinion.

"Not that it matters, but that isn't the reason she gave me." Dick flopped back onto the bed, this time lying face-up. "But then again, what out of her mouth can I believe?"

"Man, listen. I understand that you're pissed off; hell, if it were me, I would be acting the same way. But running isn't the answer – she loves you." Roy's tone changed into one of dismay as he continued. "And you love her, too. At least she isn't telling you that she just can't stand to be around you."

"Okay! I demand to know what the deal is," Wally shifted his attention from Dick onto Roy. "You've been in a funk since I got here. Your moping around is almost as bad as Dick's!"

"HEY!" Dick exclaimed.

"Seriously, dude." Wally egged on, completely ignoring Dick's comment.

Roy sighed and gave in, "Donna, in a stretched sense of the word, 'ended things' with me tonight. I don't know, we weren't really dating as much as we were having sex, but still, she ended it."

"You and Donna were having sex?!" Dick shot up; his tone conveying a tad bit of anger. "Again?! Since when?!"

"God, Dick. You don't have to act so surprised." Wally defended.

"I don't know, Dick - a while!" Roy said defensively. "Unlike you, I don't remember the exact dates of when I stick my tongue down someone's throat. I'm not a chick; I don't keep track of that shit."

"Oh man Roy, how could a girl ever let you slip away?" Wally asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, I get it. My behavior is atrocious, but I can't help it. She knows how much I fucking love her; I tell her all the damned time." Roy took a seat on the edge of the bed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I just don't know what to do about it anymore. Obviously I can't be the kind of guy that her ex-boyfriend was."

"She actually said that?"

"No, Wally, she didn't actually say that, but I know it's what she was thinking."

"I just can't believe this..."

"Dick, I don't know why you sound so upset; if anything, I thought you'd be thrilled. At least if I were with Donna, I wouldn't be hitting on Kory all of the time."

Wally and Dick looked at Roy incredulously.

"Okay, I still would, and did, actually, but you know I only do it to get a rise out of you, right? You're my best friend; I'd never actually steal your girlfriend."

"Ex-girlfriend."

"Come off it already. When I left the tower, she was a complete mess and everyone was trying to calm her down," Roy noticed the drop in Dick's face. "I mean, seriously, I know with one-hundred percent assurance that if you went back, with open arms, that she would jump right back into them and that would be the end of the story."

"I don't know if I can, if I want to." Dick frowned. "I don't feel like I can trust her anymore and it's ripping my heart to shreds."

Wall placed his hand on Dick's shoulder, "Well, it's your decision to make."

Roy stood up and mimicked Wally on Dick's other shoulder. "Exactly; if you two get back together, that's great. If not, then as your best friends, it will be our duty to make sure that you drink yourself into oblivion every night until you get over her and then we'll ship you off to rehab."

"Dick Grayson in rehab; Bruce would love that." Dick said sarcastically. "Thanks, guys, but not even alcohol can help this; it would just make things worse. I just don't understand why all of this had to happen. She's not the Kory I used to know, the Kory I fell in love with."

"Can I offer my two cents?"

"Go ahead; you know you're going to tell me anyway."

"Yeah, you're right," Wally cleared his throat and prepared himself for the speech he was about to give. "So here goes: you say that Kory has changed. Who hasn't? Give me the name of one superhero, nay, one human being over the age of 20 who can say that they haven't had something terrible happen to them that 'changed' them; something that messed them up completely for a couple of weeks, months, years. In those times, we make mistakes - things that we aren't proud of and those we regret - and it's important that we are given second chances in order to redeem ourselves. I know I'm rambling a little bit, but this is my point: Kory is amazing. She's gorgeous, confident, but not conceited, strong-willed and kind-hearted, she's compassionate and most of all she loves you. She loves you despite your neurosis and your bad habits; she goes beyond tolerating them and actually accepts them." Wally looked to Dick to make sure he was paying attention to him before continuing. "You have this seemingly fairy tale relationship that a lot of people only wish that they had; sure you have your problems, but in six years of dating, this is the first time that she's ever done anything like this."

Roy nodded slowly. "Yeah Dick, most people are cheating on each other after six years, all she did was lie to you about who raped her, and even I know that she would have told you eventually. It could be a lot worse."

"I know that –"

"Do you? Because I don't think you do. You're pissed off, I get that, but as your friend, I feel that I need to snap some sense into you. I've known you for a long time and Kory is the single best thing that's ever happened to you aside from getting out from under Bruce's shadow. You've had her up on this pedestal since they day you met her and there was no way she was going to be able to remain 'perfect' forever. Hell, I'm surprised she lasted up there that long." Roy smiled, knowing that everything he was saying was right.

"I hear what you're saying Roy, but -"

Dick sighed when Roy began to talk again, successfully interrupting him. "And it's funny that I'm even standing here, taking up for her. Back at the tower, I totally yelled at her and nearly made her cry, all because I was defending your position."

"You did what?!" Dick stood up and glared into Roy.

"I knew that would get a rise out of you."

Dick sighed as he sat back down. "You're right; you're both right. It's just hard, that's all."

"It's not like you've never lied to her before -"

_'BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP'_

"What in the -" Roy took the beeping communicator out of his jacket pocket.

"Did you find Dick?" Garfield asked as his face popped up on Roy's screen. Roy nodded and the changeling continued, "Pyra's back in town – we need manpower."

"Who the hell is Py-?"

"Just ask Dick. It's this hot chick made of fire. Get him to answer the rest of your questions and meet us down at the pier. Over and out!" Gar's face disappeared and Roy growled.

"Who's Pyra?"

"I'll explain on our way to the pier," Dick said as he was already out of his clothes and into his uniform. "Let's go!"

"Hold up, Boy Wonder, you aren't going anywhere except the tower."

"If you honestly think that I'm not going on this mission than you -"

"Dick, we can handle this. She's made of fire! I can run around her 4 times and put her out with an extinguisher." Wally said with a grin.

"But -"

"Stop being a pussy and go talk it out with your girl. This doesn't need to go on any longer. Before we got here, you were holed up in here for hours listening to Bad Religion, moping on a bed. You aren't in any condition to be out in the field." Roy patted himself down and realized that he wasn't in uniform. "Wally, can you rush to the Tower and get my shit?"

"I'll meet you at the pier!" Wally gave him a salute and took off as Dick stared into Roy gape-jawed.

"Dick, seriously, the team can't take this back and forth anymore. Either break-up with her completely and civilly, or take her into your arms and fuck her brains out, oh wait - this is you and Kory - I mean, take her into your arms and talk about your feelings until your blue in the face."

Dick glared at Roy, "I'm not even going to –"

"Good." Roy cut him off again while walking toward the penthouse elevator. "When I get back to the tower, everything better be fine! I hate it when Lian notices little things about peoples' non-verbal behavior and then asks me a million questions about it." Roy pushed the button and took one more look at Dick. "Seriously, man, just go and talk to her. She's probably on the verge of an emotional breakdown right now." Roy stepped into the elevator and disappeared from Dick's sight.

Dick, already in uniform, walked to the seemingly common bookshelf and gently pulled back on the leather bound copy of _The Art of War_ and stepped back as the secret elevator revealed itself. As he entered the elevator and began his ride down to the 'mini-cave' underneath the tower, he thought about what his friends had told him. Roy made a good point: he had been putting Kory on a pedestal for years, but until recently, she'd been more than deserving of it. Either way, he had too much to work out in his own mind before going back to the tower; he couldn't talk to her now.

He walked out of the elevator and into the small underground garage/vault that Bruce had commissioned as soon as he found out that Dick's move to Jump City was going to be indefinite. When it was first created, its presence pissed Dick off to no end. He saw the cave as another way for Bruce to keep tabs on him and he refused to use it. Now, he was glad that it existed.

Dick clenched his fists and stomped over to the outdated R-Cycle that sat in lot 4; he had to go. Emotions aside, he would never forgive himself for abandoning his team just because he was having a fight with his girlfriend – or ex-girlfriend. Whether they needed him or not was beside the point – he needed the distraction and the satisfaction of knowing that he could still force his feelings to the sidelines and perform his duty.

"Dick!" his name was shouted out from an old communicator attached to the front of the bike. "Pyra was a decoy; if you can hear this, go quickly to the Kord Industries warehouse; we will meet you there."

He wasted no time; Dick immediately hopped on the motorcycle and sped out of the cave, barreling toward the east side of the city. All thoughts of Kory set aside; he was ready to kick some ass.

* * *

As soon as Dick pulled up to the dark warehouse, he knew something was wrong. There were no streetlamps lit, no cars or trucks outside and above all else, no bodies. He sarcastically thought that as a requirement, people had to be there for something to "go down." Despite suspicions, Dick's curiosity led him into the warehouse anyway; he was determined to get to the bottom of things. He tried calling Garfield's communicator, but there was no answer. "Typical," he said out loud while walking into the cold, empty building. As soon as the doors shut behind him, he was immersed in darkness; the only source of light was the scarce amount of moonlight that shone through the oddly placed windows on the roof.

"Who is there?!" A female voice shouted out at him as he was blindsided by a green flash of light that forced him into a metal wall.

He groaned and managed to stand up; he had forgotten how much those bursts of energy hurt.

"I will not ask again!" She shot another round of star bolts in the direction of the wall that Dick had collided with; however, he was able to successfully dodge all of them.

"It's me Starfire; stop shooting at me." Dick used her professional name just in case they weren't alone.

"Robin?" she responded, obviously catching onto his motives. "X'hal did I harm you?!"

"Yeah, it's me and no, I'm fine; what are you doing here?" He continued to talk to the air as he cautiously walked towards Kory's frightened voice.

"Cyborg called and told me to meet them here; they told me I was needed. I guess I was not." Kory formed a bolt so that she could see around her and when she turned around, she found herself face-to-face with Dick, who had just been able to fish a flashlight out of his utility belt.

"They called me, too; obviously this was a set-up." Dick turned on the flashlight and surveyed the surroundings. "I don't think there is anyone else in here, let's go."

He stalked to the door, not wanting to deal with his seemingly doomed relationship at that moment.

"Dick, do you not feel as though we should take this moment to talk it out? Our friends - while their means of solving our problem is certainly questionable - did seem to put effort into this arrangement. Perhaps we should take advantage?"

"No." Dick said as he struggled to yank the door back open without any luck. "And what's wrong with you? Are you behind all of this?"

"No I definitely am not and the fact that you think I would scheme up something like this only proves that you do not know me at all." Kory bit back, upset at his acquisitions.

"That's the point, I don't know you at all." Dick gave up on opening the door that he entered from and started searching for an alternate exit as Kory followed him around the room, following his flashlight. "I don't know why you're following me. There's nothing to talk about."

"I do not think there is a way to get out of here without communicating with one another."

"Well, there's going to have to be."

"You are acting ridiculous." Kory stopped following him and extinguished her bolt, leaving Dick to see only by the small light emitted from the flashlight. "I will no longer play your games." She folded her arms across her chest and turned her back to him.

"My games?"

Kory didn't answer; instead, she started walking away from him.

"My games?! Kory, you lied to me,in case you've forgotten and then to top it off, you dumped me for a half-assed reason. So if anyone is playing games here, it's you."

"I thought you did not wish to talk about it," Kory said loudly so that he could hear her clearly. She didn't hear him respond. "Okay, I lied to you. I am sorry. I already apologized numerous times and I do not know how else I can express my regret. I also admit that I was mistaken to 'break-up' with you like I did. It was not my greatest move. I never wanted you to get hurt in any way, I am terribly penitent."

"Is there no way out of this building?!" Dick yelled into the open air. "This ends right now." He fished his communicator out of his pocket and dialed out to his teammates. "Titans, what are your coordinates?"

"I have a feeling that they will not be of any assistance."

Dick ignored her and kept trying. "Titans, come in!"

"Robin, is there trouble?" Roy asked sarcastically on the other end.

"Roy," Dick growled. "Let me out of here, now!"

"Nope, nope, nope, Robin, we aren't going to let you out until you talk everything out," Gar's voice broadcast out of the speaker. "When everything is settled, the door will be opened."

"This isn't funny! I demand to know whose idea this was."

"It was all me..." Gar admitted. "Which is another reason that we're keeping you in there until you work things out. If we let you out any sooner, you'll kill me."

Annoyed, Dick shut off the communicator and shoved it back into his pocket. "I can't believe this," he turned to Kory. "Am I not allowed to be upset? Am I only allowed two minutes of alone time before you call in the troops to bring me home? I really didn't feel like dealing with this right now." He used the flashlight do find a spot against the wall where he could sit and lean against. "I don't even know what I want to do about the situation yet."

"I did not call in any troops. I already told you that I had no hand in this scheme and I meant it. Do you really hate me so much that you would seriously question everything that I had to say from now on?"

Dick's face softened at her words. "Kory, I don't hate -"

"Please, then why are you acting this way toward me." Kory made her way back across the room to stand right in front of him.

"Look, just because I don't feel like talking about it right now, doesn't mean that I don't still love you."

"So you _do _still love me then?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I still love you!" Dick ran his hands through his hair for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "I'm just confused about everything, that's all."

"Okay..." Kory nodded. "I am sorry, I did not mean to push."

"It's okay; all of this, everything that's happened - not just tonight but during the past few months - it's been a little overwhelming. You didn't have to lie to me; I really would have understood and respected your wishes."

"I am so sorry," Kory rushed over and took a seat beside Dick who now had his knees pulled up to his chest. "It is my biggest regret."

"...just stop apologizing. You aren't making me feel any better."

"If you want to break-up for good, I will understand. I will not like it, but I will understand. Trust is a big deal and I have ruined it. At least I always have Tamaran if things were to get weird between us..." Kory dropped her statement and looked away from Dick, who seemed to be too deep in thought to respond to what she was saying.

Kory remained silent while sitting beside him on the floor. She had decided that he not getting up and moving would be good enough for now, but to her surprise, after a few minutes of complete silence, he spoke.

"I don't want to break-up with you..."

"What?"

"I don't; I really don't." Kory listened to Dick's words and breathed a sigh of relief although she dared not speak; he continued. "As much as it hurts that you lied, I'm thankful that it wasn't over something...else that I don't want to think about at the moment. I may be strong-willed about a lot of things, but I really don't think that I'd be able to live without you."

Kory's eyes welled up with tears of happiness as she lunged onto him and wrapped him in a huge hug. "Dick, that makes me so happy and relieved to hear!"

"Can't...breathe..."

"Oops. I always seem to forget that my hugs have the potential to harm." She hoped that he couldn't sense her embarrassment.

"Actually, I kind of missed them; you haven't given me a hug like that in a while." Dick smirked, glancing in her direction. "I guess this means that you and I are on the same page?"

Kory smiled and clasped her hands together. "Yes!"

"In order for this to work, we need a clean slate." Dick said seriously. "Obviously the relationship that we had before wasn't working very well. No more lies, secrets or break-up threats. Let's just consider this Kory and Dick take two." He shined his flashlight in her direction, looking for her expression.

Kory nodded; the 'happy tears' that had formed in her eyes now were dripping down her cheeks. "I was beginning to think that you were going to ship me back to Tamaran to marry Sorond'r."

"Never." Dick wiped the tear from her cheek. "And while we are on the subject, no more hiding information from me about your planet. In the past, I know I never made that much of an effort to talk about your royal duties so neither did you. That changes. If something big comes up, I want to know. If some guy appears saying that you are going to marry him, you tell me. "

Kory responded, part sarcastically, "Yes sir."

"Good. Because the marriage with Sorond'r - that isn't happening," Dick's face went serious causing Kory's to do the same. "I don't care if I single-handedly have to figure out a solution; it will not happen."

"Thank you."

"For what?" Dick asked, pulling himself up off the floor and reaching his hand out to help Kory do the same.

"Giving me a second chance." Kory said, giving him a second, more gentle embrace.

"Kory I told you once before, my love for you is unconditional, just don't take advantage of it and we'll be okay." Dick pulled out of her hug and placed a soft, light kiss on her lips.

"So, are you still going to punish Gar when we get out of this room?" Kory asked playfully.

"Oh, you bet," Dick said before placing another kiss on her lips, this time longer and more passionate. "But they can wait awhile."


	16. The Epilogue

**Disclaimer: **See Prologue.

**Updated July 2013**

* * *

**.:. Bound To You .:.**

Epilogue

* * *

Eight months ago, if anyone had told her that her life would be great, she wouldn't have believed them. Things in the tower were calm, her and Dick's relationship rose like a phoenix from the ashes, becoming stronger than ever before and after a series of mental and physical examinations by Kirk, Kory resumed her role as a Titan.

Mentally, physically and emotionally, she'd never been happier.

"Are you done stretching yet?" Dick asked impatiently, ready to get on with his lesson.

Two months ago, Dick suggested that he teach her advanced martial arts – just in case her powers were to fail her again – and Kory wasted no time accepting the offer. She didn't care that she had to wake up at 5 am just to fit it into their already busy schedules - a workout session with him was always worth making time for.

"No, I am not; perhaps you would also benefit from working your muscles out first?" Kory asked as she placed her hands in a praying position and lifted up one her legs and folded it behind her knee.

"I'm not doing Yoga." He shook his head while saying it, thinking that it would help get his message across more clearly.

"That is fine. I was not aware that you were not flexible enough to perform such movements." She loved to tease him and when it came from her, he fell for it ninety-five percent of the time.

"Oh, I can do it," Dick launched himself off of the wall that he was leaning against and walked toward Kory's figure who was currently in a 'big toe pose.' "I can do it easy."

"Okay." Kory nodded picking herself up and squatting down into a chair pose, "I believe you."

"I'm an acrobat, Kory. It's what I do."

"I said that I believed you."

Dick instantly flipped over into a backbend and then, to demonstrate his impressive upper body control, kicked his legs over into a handstand.

"That is really cool." Kory said trying very hard to sound unimpressed as she carried on with her stretching.

Dick launched himself into the air and landed on his feet in front of Kory who was on the ground, grabbing her feet and pulling her head down. He quickly sat down beside her and mimicked her actions, forcing himself to completely touch his head to his knees. Kory knew that he was only doing this to show that he could, which made her want to laugh.

"You win; you are way more flexible than I am."

"It's okay Kor; the more training we do, the more flexible you'll become." He said with a smile as he picked himself up from the floor and proceeded by sticking his hand out for Kory to grab.

"Always the gentleman," she joked as she grabbed his hand and allowed herself to be pulled up in a swift motion.

"Only for you." He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "So today, I thought we would work on dodging."

"Dodging?" Kory asked, a little confused by what he meant.

"Yeah, like weaponry and stuff." Dick had his back turned to her now and was playing around with something in his bag.

"I do not know if I am ready for this," she nervously swallowed the lump that formed in the base of her throat. "I mean I could easily dodge such things in flight, but I do not know enough gymnastics to successfully do it by foot."

Dick turned around to face her as he raised his eyebrow, "You'll be fine; you have a high pain tolerance. Plus, you're here to learn how to do things – this is obviously something that you need to learn."

She knew that he was right, but it didn't freak her out any less; something about sharp objects flying toward her head. "Is this going to be like that circus trick that you showed me on TV? The one where the female stands in the bulls-eye and –."

Dick started laughing and Kory couldn't help but narrow her eyes on him. "And just what is so funny? Does me being frightened amuse you?"

Dick held his chest and forced his laughter to calm down. "No, Kory, it doesn't; you have nothing to worry about. It won't be like the knife throwing trick. If you don't want to do the lesson, we don't have to; I can think of something else."

"No, the lesson is fine."

"Okay, then let's start." Dick lightly threw a punch at her, watching – and feeling the pain – as she counteracted by grabbing his arm and throwing him on the ground. "Good...just as I taught you." He groaned in pain causing his girlfriend to gasp.

"I did not mean to flip you so hard, are you hurt?" Kory quickly bent down to check on him, instantly regretting it as he grabbed her forearm, pulled her down beside him, rolled on top of her, and then, pinned her down. "See if I ever check on you again."

"People don't always fight fair Kory," Dick grinned.

Kory took quick note of the position that they were currently in and decided that if he didn't want to play fair, then she wasn't going to either.

"I guess your right," she said in her best sultry voice as she carefully started to move her leg up and down his inner thigh. She didn't have much choice in the matter, his hold wasn't allowing for much movement.

"I'm not falling for that."

"Falling for what, Dick?"

"The whole seductive ploy, you don't think that's been played on me before?" he laughed as he unpinned her and stood up from the floor. "I _am_ a good-looking guy after all."

Kory immediately swung her leg at his feet and knocked him down unexpectedly before standing up herself. "I guess you slightly underestimated me once again, you good-looking guy, you." When she saw the look on Dick's face, she knew that she had opened a can of worms now; it was just like the look that he had gotten during the 'stretch-off'; it was the look that meant 'I have something to prove.'

"It's on now."

Kory noticed that throughout the light scuffle, Dick had somehow been able to work her into a corner.

She watched as he – still lying on the floor – reached into his utility belt and pulled out ten smoke bomb pellets and tossed three of them on the floor in front of her. Her visibility was altered before she could see what he did with the rest of them.

"How am I supposed to dodge anything when I am backed into a corner and cannot see a thing?" Kory yelled out unnecessarily, the fog surrounding her making her feel extremely isolated. When she never received an answer she took a step forward and jumped as she felt a small breeze from something whizzing past her; she then heard the noise that it made as it collided with the training room's wall.

"X'Hal!" She shrieked. "What was that? Dick are you throwing things at me now? If I cannot see in this mess, I know that you cannot." She still didn't receive an answer from him and for some reason, a wave of concern washed over her. She edged back, leaning into the corner. "Dick?"

Kory remained still and pinned against the wall until the fog began to lift, allowing the room's overhead light to filter in with the smoke. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a gleam and turned her head slowly to investigate. Within a minute, she was able see the metal implanted into the wall; it didn't look like his normal bird-a-rangs. The object was black and shaped similarly, but the 'bird's head' was more enlarged and around it hung a –

Kory stopped in her tracks and squinted her eyes at the body of the shiny, black weapon. Etched into it – in very nice lettering – were two words: Marry Me.

She held her breath, her eyes falling upon the ring that hung around the neck of the bird. It was gorgeous - she'd never seen anything so beautiful in her life. Tears sprang into her eyes and she snapped around and started to scan the room for Dick.

"Dick?" She asked the empty room."Are you in here?"

Kory swiftly yanked the 'proposal' out of the wall and used both hands to press it against her chest. When she walked out of the room, she noticed a sparse trail of multi-colored hibiscus flowers leading down the hallway. Following the trail of flowers to the roof, she closed her eyes as she opened the door, not knowing what to expect. When the door opened, she let out a small gasp. All she saw was Dick – still shirtless and in his workout bottoms – sitting on the edge of the roof, watching the beginning of the sunrise. She stepped out onto the roof and let the heavy metal door slam behind her.

Still holding the precious bird-a-rang in her hands, she carefully approached Dick and sat down beside him, letting her legs dangle off the side.

"Sorry if I scared you back there," Dick said softly, turning his body toward her.

Kory blushed, remembering how terrified she'd acted. "It is quite alright."

"October sunsets were always my favorite." Dick said as he looked out into the distance. "I don't know why, and honestly, I couldn't even tell you how they differ from spring, winter or summer - they just do." Nervously, he began to wipe imaginary dust of the leg of his black sweatpants.

"It is very beautiful." Kory agreed, silently thinking that it was nowhere as beautiful as the ring currently wrapped around the metal bird's neck, sitting in the palm of her hand.

They both sat in silence for a few more minutes, both of them thinking about what to say next. When Dick leaned back on the roof, cradling his head with his hands, Kory felt oddly prompted to speak. "Is that why you led me to the roof?"

"Hmm?" Dick looked directly at Kory, who he saw was holding the black bird-a-rang in her hands.

"Did you lead me up here because October sunsets are your favorite?"

"That's part of the reason I guess," Dick sat up. "I thought it would be romantic; at least more romantic than a training room. I'm sorry if this is awkward." Dick smirked as he ran his hands through his hair, pausing in the back of his head to ruffle his locks up a bit. "I didn't think I would be this nervous."

"Why are you nervous?" Kory shifted and turned her body to the side to where she was facing his profile.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully.

Kory carefully unfolded her hand and held the object out in front of them. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," he said with no hesitation.

"Even after everything that has happened? To me? Between us?"

Dick turned his head to look her in the eyes, "Especially after everything that's happened." He placed his eyes back on the sunrise, too anxious to watch her expressions. Which was too bad, because if he had watched, he would have seen her smile as the tears of happiness poured down her golden face.

Kory wiped the tears with the tips of her fingers as she carefully guiding the ring off of the bird-a-rang.

"I'll admit, I'm not the best person when it comes to elaborate romantic gestures. You deserve much more than -" His eyes went wide as Kory grabbed his head and crashed her lips on top of his, causing him to lose his train of thought. Kory then grabbed his hand and placed the ring inside of it causing Dick to look at her slightly confused. "What? You did not think that I was going to put it on myself, did you?"

Dick smiled and obliged, slipping the ring on her delicate finger.

"I love it," she said, holding it out in front of her face, admiring it's beauty.

"You don't think it's too cheesy?"

"Not at all, Dick. It is perfect."

Dick looked at her and grinned like a young boy who'd just received the one thing that he'd wanted for Christmas. "I love you."

Kory just returned the smile and nodded before grabbing his hand and looking back out at the sunset. _  
_

"By the way, did you read the engraving?"

Kory shook her head, taking in what he'd just asked. "The what?"

"I had a message engraved for you into the ring."

Kory gently took off the ring and held it into the emerging sunlight, reading the words scribed into the precious metal.

_**Forever and Always, Bound to** **You **_

* * *

"(I've been waiting for almost four months, father, I haven't seen her since)" said a voice, obviously speaking Tamaranean. "(I'm coming home; I really despise this planet.)" He threw a trash bag into a large green dumpster and afterward looked at his hands, disgusted. "(My work is done here.)"

"Sorond'r, I'ktor Earthling gro'r halfesh." The voice on the other end sounded harsh and impatient.

"(Yes, I know I should have taken care of him when I had the chance, but you know, I decided to give the Earthling his day. I know that I will be having mine soon enough.)" Sorond'r defended his actions.

"Y Koriand'r?" His father, Gorond'r, asked.

"('And Koriand'r' what? She would obviously rather stay on this crap hole of a planet and reside with an inferior Earthling than be with her own people. As much as I love her, I can't get the bad taste of her betrayal out of my mouth.)"

"ulpn'r y'tor hu?"

"(No, I haven't given up, father. I know how important this is to you. No, this just means that instead of being nice, I will have to take what's mine by force.)" Sorond'r paused as he heard someone coming into the alleyway. "(Father, I must end the transmission. Someone is approaching. I should be back in Tamaran in a few days time.)" He quickly ended the transmission and stuck his small communicator back into his pocket right before the door swung open.

"How long does it take to bring out a trash bag?" The guy standing in the doorway asked. "People are ready to go home, come in and finish your work."

"No," Sorond'r said, taking off his apron and throwing it at his shift manager. "I'm going home."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

"First you get into an altercation in the restrooms with a paying customer, then you start calling in sick to work all the time. Now, you're trying to tell me what you will and will not do? This is it. Seniority can't do shit for you anymore, Chad." the manager stated. "This gives me great pleasure - you're fired!"

"Good," he yelled back as he exited the alley way. "The food sucked anyway."

After 4 years, Sorond'r couldn't wait to be back home.


	17. A Little Something After The Credits

Disclaimer: As a request for a reader, I added an "extra scene" to my story because she wanted me to have Kory singing a song (or her choosing.) So I don't own Teen Titans, I definitely don't own Rock Band and I don't own the Naked Brothers or this song of theirs. I believe that the title is "Why" (I had never even heard of it until now – and yeah, this song isn't on Rock Band in case anyone is wondering, but hey...a little imagination never hurt anyone.)

**Updated July 2013 **

* * *

"OH MY GOD!" Donna squealed as she grabbed Kory by the hand and pulled her into the common room. "You're getting married!" Donna hugged her best friend and then looked to Dick. "It's about time, you know."

All Dick could do is laugh nervously and rub the back of his neck.

"This calls for a celebration!" Garfield exclaimed as he went to the corner and pulled out all of the Rock Band equipment. "We haven't played in a while- if there was any reason to break it out, this would be it."

Dick smiled. "Okay, I'm down. But just one song. I hate to be a drag, but I have a lot of records that I have to go through today."

"One song it is, then." Victor picked up a guitar controller and then threw the drumsticks at Dick, who was already taking his spot at the drums. "Who wants to sing?" Victor shoved the microphone in all three of the girls' faces and was met with a unanimous, "no thank you."

"Oh no you don't Kory," Gar interjected. "You have to sing. This is celebrating **you**; you have an obligation."

"Fine, okay. One song and I am picking it because I do not wish to get stuck with a song that I do not know."

Victor leaned over Dick and whispered softly, "Have you ever heard her sing?"

Dick opened his eyes wide and nodded. "Oh yeah; I have."

"I'm assuming that Gar hasn't."

Dick just lightly laughed and slammed the stick down to the green drum pad – to tell the game that he was joining in. "Well, luckily I'm used to it. It's always worse when you aren't used to it."

Kory's shrill squeak of excitement filled the room. "I love this song! We have to play it!"

"I've never even heard of this song," Gar said.

"Tough." Dick responded, slamming the sticks down on the green pad to choose the song. "You said she could choose and she chose."

Gar groaned and admitted defeat. "You're right, you're right. Let's play"

The song started out and Kory began singing –

_Every time I have a thought  
A memory  
of all the bad things  
that you did to me. _

Everyone in the room looked at each other, with the exception of Dick, who was glaring solely at Garfield just daring him to laugh. And even though nothing was being said, everyone – including Dick – was thinking the exact same thing: Kory's singing voice was terrible. What was worse is that the first part of the song was just vocals, so none of them could tune her out by focusing on what they needed to be doing. No, all anyone could do was sit back and listen to the horror that was invading their ears.

_Why did you do it?  
Why did you say it all along?_

_Why did you do it?  
Why did you say it, wanna know?_

_Why did you do it?  
Why did you do it say it all again?_

_Why did you do it?_

Finally, the song picked up enough to where Dick, Garfield and Victor could start using their instruments. Dick wasn't a Rock Band pro, but he couldn't help but wonder why anyone would put this song on a game designed to let people channel their inner rock star. This song definitely did not do that.

_Wasn't 'bout the truth._

_Wasn't 'bout the lie._

_It's just the fact that you made me cry._

_You didn't even try. I really wanna sigh._

_I'm sorry but I gotta say goodbye. _

_say goodbye._

_You made me cry._

_You didn't even know that you made me cry. _

Kory's voice echoed through the room causing discomfort in everyone except Dick, who like he mentioned before, was already used to it. Her singing voice was loud and harsh, almost like a European industrial rock band and add to that the fact that it was a tad bit nasally. For such a voice to come out of a girl that was so seemingly perfect...was a little insane. And, it was something that Dick found rather enduring – even though he had to tune it out everytime.

_Why did you do it!  
Why did you say it all along. _

_Again._

_Why did you do it.  
Why did you do it._

_Why did you  
say it along  
I wanna know. _

Kory finished the song and took a bow while the girls awkwardly clapped for her, still a little confused about what had just happened. As a princess, Kory had taken many singing and music lessons as a child and on her planet, she was actually considered to be a fairly good singer. Too bad the music on Tamaran sounded completely different than the music on Earth. Also, her friends never had the heart to tell her that listening to her sing was almost as painful as hearing someone scrape their fingernails down a chalkboard.

Dick stood up from the drum set and placed the sticks in their holder. "Okay, it's time for me to hit the office. Kory, wanna come with me?"

"Yeah, sure," Kory looked at her friends and shrugged as she trotted off toward Dick and exited the room.

"Raise your hand if you know that Dick and Kory aren't going into the office to work on case files." Victor said smugly. No one responded to him. They were all still in shock.

"Maybe someone should tell her -" Garfield started before Raven interrupted him.

"No, let's just...not ask her to sing anymore...ever." Raven droned. "Too bad you opened a can of worms. I have a feeling that she will want to sing all the time now."

Just then, Roy entered the room. "What the hell is going on in here? It sounded like something out of my worst nightmare. What was that?"

"Trust me, Roy," Donna walked up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You really don't wanna know."


	18. Thank Yous and Final Author's Note

**Hi everyone, it's me...again.**

First of all, this is not a new chapter - as most of you probably already know because this story is pretty old and I haven't written much as of late (sadly, but I am trying!) I hate doing that posthumous story thing, but I felt it needed to be done on this story. I have gone through and edited all of the chapters - for the **last** time. I know I've said this before, but I am a perfectionist and in my eyes, this story could _always_ be better; it's my baby and I want it to be the best that it can be! However much of a perfectionist I am, I can't keep going back and re-editing the same damn thing so I am wiping my hands clean (which is good news because I am sure everyone would much rather read **new **stuff than old stuff.)

In the re-edit, I didn't change anything major, just a few things here and there. A little bit more imagery, more embellishments and a little more mystery (hopefully!) I think all in all, the edits have made it a better story as a whole. For anyone that may go back and re-read it, I hope you agree. (By the way, if there is anyone out there that is still reading this story, let me know what you think! You don't even have to write a review, you can send me a PM. I love talking to and meeting fellow TT fanfiction enthusiasts.)

Secondly, I finally took the giant leap and deleted the original Bound to You - it was a major step, but a good one. That old story was no good - this one is. That's why, it's not a "redux" any longer, it's the real deal! I'm sure it's not that hard to find and anyone looking through their favorites would probably not see a difference anyway, but I just wanted to take note of it.

Thirdly, I love, love, **love**, all the support that I have gotten with this story. My readers are awesome and the readership keeps growing. It makes me so happy to check my inbox and see a new favorite, follow or review and its because of **all of you **that my story turned out as good as (I think!) it did. :) I may have taken all the shoutouts from the original chapters, but to all of my reviewers, here's my thank you:

jenny868, **Beautiful Sakura-chan, **starfire199, **Ayriel, **Gidrah29, **shooshoo, **katcastle, **ShinSagara, **dreamergirl13, **Aprille-Baby, **Onigato, **raebabi, **Bree-2006, **ThElusiveShadow, **laniDG11, **just lovely, **Sapphire Nymph, **animeizawsum**

And to my SUPER reviewers:

tennisgal456,**storycrazy22, **Star of Airdrie,****** Good Graces, **Crimson Black

**Also thank you to everyone else that read this story, but didn't know how to put into words how much you loved it.**

Welp, that is the end of my little note; for all of you who actually read it - bless you and be sure to keep your eyes out for great things to come. ;)

Rox.


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